Trussville, Alabama, ‘witches’ brew up early Halloween Parade in Carrington neighborhood
The 'Witches of Carring-toz' joined more than 60 riders in the third annual Halloween parade in the Carrington neighborhood of Trussville, Alabama, on Oct. 30. The neighborhood children enjoyed being with friends while their families oversaw the festivities. (contributed)
Delivering fright and lots of delight, more than 60 “witches” descended on the Carrington subdivision in Trussville, Alabama, for an early Halloween Parade on Oct. 30.
Gardner (left), Schwieker, Swann and Verville created the Emerald City cart. (contributed)
The event was residents’ neighborly way of celebrating All Hallows’ Eve, minus whisking about on flying brooms. Instead, moms in costume or dressed all in black traveled the gated community by golf cart during the neighborhood’s third annual “fright night.” This year’s “head witches,” Jessica Baker and Jessica Worsham, chaired the third annual parade.
Parade golf carts began lining up around 1 p.m. at the Carrington Clubhouse. An estimated 60-yard trail of carts waited to traverse the subdivision. The Carrington Homeowner Association security team blocked traffic so the parade could ride safely through the neighborhood. Meanwhile, the community’s children eagerly waited at their homes for moms to toss candy.
Carrington’s Halloween parade hearkens to a simpler time, when neighbors knew each other, and kids safely enjoyed trick-or-treating.
“It’s our third year to do this, though I didn’t participate the first year,” said Amanda Gardner, who has lived in the neighborhood several years. “For someone who may not have a golf cart, this may give them a chance to do something fun and meet the neighbors.”
The Carring-toz team secured the Emerald City to their cart. (contributed)
Gardner’s team spent about a month decorating their golf cart. They posed as the “Witches of Carring-toz” as a spoof on the “Wizard of Oz.”
“It’s really fun, we’re not movie accurate,” said Gardner, who wore a red wig and matching costume. She and friends Lindsey Schwieker, playing the Wicked Witch of the West; Jessica Verville as the Wicked Witch of the North; and Pam Swann acting as Glinda, the Good Witch, had loads of fun decorating the four-seater cart.
Using abundant creativity and a conglomeration of materials – a laundry basket, large rug spools, sand buckets, dryer vent, a plastic gutter and pool noodles skewered to a piece of plywood – they built a miniature Emerald City. After assembly, the team spray-painted the city a deep, emerald green and hand-threw glitter to add sparkle.
Drizzly weather couldn’t ‘melt’ the fun
Despite a little rain, residents were determined the parade would go on.
The Carring-toz team got busy early that morning, using ratchet straps to securely tie their Emerald City to the top of the cart.
“I couldn’t park the Can-Am in our garage with the Emerald City on top of it,” Gardner said.
The parade provided lots of enjoyment for neighborhood children.
“This is only in our gated community, so there’s not a lot of cars on the road. It’s just meant to be fun for the kids,” Gardner said. “They get so excited – they love picking up the candy. It’s just a really, really cute way to celebrate the season.”
