T For Travel

Last Halloween , were you the one at the party wearing blue jeans and a white t-shirt with two circles blacked in with a permanent marker and the word “Boo!” written underneath it? It might have seemed like a good idea at the time — after all, it took a minimum of fuss and effort, but instead of coming off as a cool and ironic ghost, it might be closer to the truth to say that it simply appeared as if you had forgotten to plan ahead.

Perhaps you feel as if procrastination is your problem; if so, you may want to peer ahead into the future by going on-line and finding the right adult Halloween costumes now. You might feel that Halloween is for kids and so you resist the opportunity to dress up as someone other than yourself; the tradition of dressing up has existed for centuries, however, and crosses over many cultures.

Masquerade parties became popular in the 1700s, and, as these “fancy dress” parties evolved, people found themselves wearing costumes of the characters of the stories and poems of the time. Many such costumes were based on historical figures or from famous plays and novels, such as Oliver Twist and Romeo and Juliet.

Certainly that tradition persists to this day, as you watch children parade the streets as their favorite television character. Often adult costumes draw from various roles people have taken in society, such as a 70s Dance Fever costume or a Bohemian Go-Go Girl costume. This year, you’ll want to be ready for the parties, no matter what your choice, as long as it doesn’t involve black ink from a permanent marker.

Halloween is one of the best of holidays.  Creativity and spookiness go hand in hand, and while there is a similarity in the way that people celebrate, I find that it is a wonderful experience to take in the ways in which those in other cities in the United States celebrate.  As of yet, I have not been in a foreign country for this particular night, but I have been in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Bozeman on this, the scariest of evenings.

When a friend of mine suggested going to Sarasota to visit her sister, and the trip fell on the Holiday weekend last year, I was ready for the adventure.  Her sister’s house is very small, so we booked a couple of rooms in one of the West Florida hotels, right on the beach of course and with cameras in hand, we headed out for the evening.  The festivities that take place are encapsulated in the title, “Fright Night”.

The usually sophisticated and upscale neighborhood in Sarasota, St. Armands Circle, becomes a Halloween extravaganza of silliness, ghoulishness, and all out fun.  This has become over the years, one of the largest of Sarasota’s festivals, and draws not only the locals, but those from near by cities surrounding.  Everyone gets in on the holiday spirit as all of the shops, the restaurants, and the bars that line the street are decorated.

One of the outdoor sculpture exhibits threw me off a bit.  There was a sculpture garden where the figurative pieces were dressed in costumes.  I stepped in close to get a photo of one of the statues, and just as I was about to click the button, the sculpture moved.  Scared me so quickly and so thoroughly that it took me a few minutes to catch my breath.  Afterwards I noticed that there were many live sculptures in that garden.  This was one of my favorite Halloweens, the frightening night in Sarasota, Florida.