Holy cow. There are a lot of unbelievable things going on right now. First, I can scarcely believe it’s November. Really?! Second, I cannot believe that the temps in Practically Canada are still on the balmy side. This is the longest, nicest fall I’ve experienced here. It’s glorious. I also can’t believe Halloween is over. It seems like I’ve been eating, sleeping and breathing Halloween for months now. Yikes.
I’ve been so consumed with the creepy I’ve hardly done anything else. {Okay, you know me…I’ve been doing plenty of other things.} But this year Halloween really took up a good chunk of my time. And if I was one of those bloggers who is actually really good at blogging…I would have kept you up to date on the whole thing. But, let’s face it. I’m just not that good. So here’s a recap.
I’m on the executive committee on the Minot Area Council of the Arts. A while back {like in March} we brainstormed some ideas for fundraisers. We collectively decided a Halloween party would be a good idea. And it was. After I found out we’d be staying here through Halloween, I volunteered to coordinate said event–and thus began a very fun, informative, stressful, time consuming, rewarding, endeavor. And so the Minot Monster Mash was born.
When I dug in to planning the Monster Mash, I started thinking about what kind of party I’d pay money to go to. If I would be promoting the event, I wanted it to be something I could honestly convince people to come to with my integrity intact. It needed more than just music, food and costumes. But since there were few people available to help, the scope had to be narrow and concrete enough to carry out. In the end, the driving force behind the Monster Mash is my deep loathing for the phrase, “There’s nothing to do in Minot.” I didn’t just want the Mash to be a night of “something to do” I wanted to teach a man to fish for things to do all winter long.
With that mission in mind I started seeking sponsors who offer things to do and entertainment more people should know about. I sought prizes that offered guests things to do. In the end, we gave away $800 in prizes that included everything from hockey tickets and skate rentals to wine and theater tickets. Our swag bags had information on wine tasting classes, cooking classes, fitness, theater, symphony, art and free ballroom classes. Oh–and don’t for a single second get the idea that I did this all alone. I had fantastic help–amazing graphic designers lent their talent, folks called sponsors, picked up gifts, met to get the details in order, promoted on Facebook, volunteered at the event, moved furniture, offered ideas, and just plain helped wherever they were needed. I owe lots of thank you’s to lots of people.
And now…without any more delays. Let’s relive the Mash.
The Monster Mash was held in the Minot Carnegie Center–originally a Carnegie Library built in 1911. The inside is gorgeous, weird, spooky and eccentric. The closets are filled with the old and odd. It was the perfect place for a grownup Halloween party. Spooky, yet refined.
Oliver Nicole Events took care of the decor. Tawyna, the owner was so incredibly easy to work with. She spoke my language of DIY and low-cost. I can’t put in to words how perfect the decor was. She absolutely nailed the atmosphere I was hoping to achieve. Ghostly, but not horrifying. Scary, but classy. “You know that party the parents go to in Hocus Pocus?…I basically want it to look like that,” I told her at our first meeting.
I know Tawnya did most of the work…but I helped where I could. I was so super proud when I secured a massive donation of only slightly damaged pumpkins! I loaded somewhere around 70 pumpkins in my car–which Tawnya put to good use. When she called to tell me the dead roses she’d been eyeing were $3 a stem…my genius mother asked if we could just use dead plants from my own flower beds. Duh. The centerpieces were then filled with dead or dying sedums and peony leaves. It takes a special level of talent to turn yard waste into a classy display and she totally nailed it.
Downstairs in the old Children’s library we set up a small gallery with local art. I loved the creepy entries we got. Oh, and that spooky photo of the girl with a sickle?? I found it in a closet. {Told you this place is a little weird.}
Going back to my original goal of showing off Minot’s art scene and things to do in Minot–we kicked off the evening with a performance by musicians from the Minot Symphony Orchestra. They absolutely blew me away. And I LOVED that they showed up in costume.
When 8pm rolled around guests started arriving. Lots of guests. The best part was that everyone {EVERYONE!} came in totally awesome costumes. Nothing helps a party like folks who are fully committed to the theme. I am still shocked that everyone who walked through the door arrived looking positively amazing decked out as someone they weren’t. The entertainers, the guests, the volunteers. Everyone looked great. That really had my heart doing somersaults.
When the party was in full swing, while Derek and I were dancing, I told him, “This is what you think Halloween will be like when you grow up…but it never is.” Seriously. Halloween and New Years are always so romanticized in the movies and on TV. As a kid you expect that you’ll grow up and have these super dazzling things to do–but that hardly ever comes to fruition. Finally in the year 2015–in my 28th year…Halloween was how I pictured it as a kid. All these people in a spooky old building, crowded with costumes, an awesome cover band and lots of dancing…to me, this is magic.
Okay. Let’s talk costumes. Everyone blew me away. I love the Frankensteins. And I totally admire Mr. F for staying in his mask throughout the whole party. I was also a big fan of the Man in the Yellow Hat {who took 2nd place in the costume contest.} Oh, and how can you over look Beetlejuice and Lydia! She nailed it. But wait! There’s more!! What about Disgust from “Inside Out”–amazing!!–or Mary Poppins–Or the coolest skeleton I’ve ever seen–or the Cheshire Cat {who nabbed 1st place.} Hippies, royalty, an awesome rendering of Bonnie and Clyde–Roger Rabbit, Sandy and Danny, Three Blind Mice! How do you decide??
We also saw a fully committed squirrel, someone dressed as a SnapChat, a full blown flying monkey {a little terrifying actually}, Ariel, Cruella, Red Riding Hood and a Wolf dressed as grandma…the list goes on and on. The costumes were wonderful.
The Mouse River Players came and did a Sanderson Sisters bit {I put a spell on you…}, the MSU Community Dance Club busted out a mash up that showed off thriller and ballroom styles all together, we were taught to Thriller, The Magic Tap Cloggers dazzled with their high energy Elvis mash up. We ate junk food and sang and danced and gave away prizes.
Some people left early. And others stayed to the very last song. Like I said…there are things I’d do differently and things that I think can be improved…I hope everyone had fun. But at the end of it all–this is the most fun I’ve had on Halloween in many full moons, this is how I think Halloween should be. I’m so glad so many people came out and shared this fun night and helped out the arts in the process.
It was a lot of work. But for some reason, I just love this town. I love it. And I hope that maybe, just maybe I can help other people love it too.
Xo
Amy
