Photos by Marie Mccolm About 200 people attended the Halloween Festival on Oct. 27 at Fullenweider Par in Monte Vista. The Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce along with the Mystic Valley Art Council and the San Luis Valley Heathens hosted and organized the event.

MONTE VISTA — Fullenweider Park came to life with tiny witches, little zombies, werewolves, wizards, skeletons, and other more to enjoy all the games, candy, and festivities on Friday, Oct. 27, for the Halloween Festival.

The Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce along with the Mystic Valley Art Council and the San Luis Valley Heathens hosted and organized the event, that drew approximately 200 people to the park. In one corner of the park a large maze was set up with hay bales. Children wearing costumes walked and ran through the maze and laughed while enjoying candy and talking with friends. The scent of popcorn filled the air at the park.

Children had their faces painted with sparkly designs and fun temporary tattoos designed for Halloween by Get Inked of Monte Vista. A giant Bigfoot walked all over the park talking to all the children, making some of the kids scream with delight and laugh as he gave the kids handshakes, hugs, and growls.

There were approximately seven cars set up for trunk or treat and many children could be seen getting candy from the cars as they ran happily from car to car. All over the park adults were dressed up with their children. One family was dressed up like the Adams Family complete with Morticia, Gomez, Thing, and Wednesday. The family’s golden retriever had a striped shirt on to represent Pugsley.

Irene Sandoval had her grandchildren with her who were dressed up as the twin girls from the movie “The Shining.”

“Everyone looks so happy out here. It’s so cold, but nobody is leaving. I think they are having too much fun. My granddaughters ran through the maze and keep wanting to go again. Whoever put this on, did a good job. We like it,” Sandoval said. 

One little girl who was dressed like Jessie the Cowgirl from “Toy Story” kept telling her little brother who was dressed like Buzz from “Toy Story,” “To Infinity and Beyond,” as she ran through the park.

Rebecca and Adrian Hurtado were part of the trunk or treat crew giving out candy at the event. Rebecca said, “We have had a great turn out tonight, lots of kids coming to get candy. This is a great event for the family and community.”

Tony Ortega and his wife, DJ Ortega, were at the event with their two children. Tony said, “It’s cold but this is just fun. The Bigfoot was pretty cool walking all over the park and that maze thing is a great idea. It helps to have stuff like this, the kids really love it. I wish they would have kept Moonlight Madness like they had it before though, with the businesses the same night too, but this is pretty fun. As a family we have had fun.”