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Trick-or-treating at Covelli draws 1,500
Trick-or-treating at Covelli draws 1,500
By kristine gill
youngstown
Four-year-old Nevaeh Shouse of Youngstown looked a lot like Mrs. Claus for Halloween this year, but her costume may have been misleading.
“She told me she’s Santa Claus’ girlfriend,” said her mother, Lavertta Shouse.
The real Mrs. Claus was farther back in line, but 1-year-old Dye’mond Lacey was too young to comment on the attendance of her pretend husband’s rumored mistress.
About 1,500 witches, ninjas, mummies and their parents took advantage of a safe trick-or-treating atmosphere during Saturday’s event at the Covelli Centre, downtown. From 4 to 6 p.m. families could visit for candy, and kids could attend the Youngstown Phantoms game afterward at 7:30 p.m. for free.
The event was sponsored by Youngs-town Litter Control and Recycling along with The Youngs-town Phantoms and the Covelli Centre. About 25 local businesses came to pass out candy.
Jennifer Jones, a program coordinator with Youngstown Litter Control and Recycling, said they decided to host the event because Halloween is the most littered holiday.
“They eat the candy and they throw the wrapper on the ground,” Jones said, adding that each bag children received contained information about littering and protecting the environment. Jones said an added bonus was the safety aspect.
“That’s one of the main reasons Youngstown should have something like this,” she said.
Parents agreed.
“This is way safer than going house-to-house,” Shouse said.
The mothers of two toddlers dressed as Elmo were surprised when they parked next to each other in the lot outside the Covelli Centre.
But Kellen Grace and Joshua Deem, both 21/2 years old, didn’t seem to notice each other at first.
“When they both got in line they said, ‘Elmo,’” Danielle Deem said.
David Belton waited more than 15 minutes with his children for the event. His daughter Kyshara Duval, 4, went as Ariel from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid.”
“Anything to do with princesses,” Belton said.
Belton’s daughter Daeozjhanique Belton, 7, went as a scary cheerleader.
“I wanted to be a cheerleader, so I came up with a dead cheerleader,” she said.
Alice Landis was a crowd favorite. Dressed as a brown-and-white puppy dog with pink sunglasses, the 22-month-old wandered around her parents who waited in line, a stuffed animal counterpart in tow.
“She loves dogs,” said her mother, Sarah Landis of Pittsburgh. “She’s [growing] up with two.”
Even parents got in on the fun Saturday.
“I got caught up in the festivities,” said Marcus McQueen, 36, of Youngs-town. McQueen dressed as Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, an American tap dancer famous in the 1930s.
“I think I scared one of the little princesses up there, so I had to calm down,” McQueen said.