Ohio University - Athena Yearbook (Athens, OH)

Page 33 text:

Halloween they say it ' s losing its appeal L nce again Athens geared itself for the Court Street celebration which occurs annually on Halloween. The party, though technically illegal, was as well-advertised as ever and Athens hosted its Mardi Gras with the usual hospitality and flair. By Friday afternoon the town had braced it- self for the arrival of visiting partiers. Merchants stocked up on beer, ice and grease paints while vendors lined up the pumpkins and wigs. The Salvation Army did great business in the old coat and shoe department. The important thing was looking the ugliest, strangest or simply the most amusing. Putting on make-up and costumes can be one of the best parts of Halloween. It can be time-consuming, messy and uncomfortable, but always fun. The weather Saturday afternoon was ideal. After a week of rain and chill, the Southeastern Ohio sun finally came out over Athens. Bars were packed for happy hour; dinner lines were . . . well, lengthy. Many house and apartment dwellers spon- sored pre-uptown parties. I-tal at Tool ' s Tavern and the Erector Set at the Frontier Room drew large crowds. But the main action was, of course, on Court Street. The evening weather got a little cooler, but the skies stayed clear. The crowd began to exceed sidewalk capacity at around 9 p.m. Court Street was closed off at 9:30 and so the revelry began. com. on p 30 The turmoil of Grenada as seen in a more tiumorous way. 5 Uptown partiers merged onto Court Street at around 9:30 p.m. displaying their costumes and creations. Tere- c sa Harvey. Michelle Myers and Carol Harvey join the par- ly on Court Street. Halloween 29

Page 32 text:

28 Campus Life

Page 34 text:

A party authorities wish would fade away i ownspeople gathered along the curb to watch the parade of costumes. TV cameras scanned the crowd. Witches and gobHns talked to poHcemen (some of which were authentic). Frisch ' s Big Boy met Fred Fhntstone. Reagan conversed with the Coneheads. Characters from the Rocky Horror Picture Show mingled with nurses, waitresses, ma- fia thugs and the usual multitude of men in drag. A man dressed as a toilet stood in front of Security Bank. Superman was lifted through the crowd by six of his friends. A dining room table, complete with candelabra, walked along the sidewalk escort- ed by two bumblebees and a soldier. Hershey ' s Kisses compared wrappings with M M ' s. Because Halloween coincided with the daylight savings time change, partiers were granted an extra hour of fun. This year ' s crowd was more relaxed and mellow than the mob of other years. Dressing up can provide fantasy fulfillment, pleasant anonymity or just simply an excuse to be silly. There were arrests, of course, and litter. Cars were towed. Pizza delivery men were stalled in traffic. But overall it was a good-hearted, fun cele- bration — the kind of party only Athens, Ohio knows how to throw. — Patricia Peknik 30 Campus Life