By Christine Bryant
Staff Writer
Kick off Halloween fun this year with the 4th annual Mums and Mummies event at Westgate Park.
The free celebration of Belgian mums and Halloween festivities will take place from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at the park’s shelter house, and will include a variety of events for the whole family.
A costume contest for pets will take place at 2:15 p.m., followed by a contest for children at 2:45 p.m. Other activities include a baked goods sale, games and activities, a trunk-or-treat, fireside stories, food, raffles and a mum sale.
Andrew Christmas with Friends of Westgate Park, the nonprofit that organizes the event with the Westgate Neighbors Association, says visitors will enjoy strolling through the hundreds of colorful Belgian mums in the park that have been planted as part of the Belgium Mum Project.
“The mums from the project are also for sale, with proceeds benefiting Westgate Park through Friends of Westgate Park,” he said.
A popular event that attracts hundreds to the area each year, Mums and Mummies helps build a sense of community in the area, Christmas said.
“We get to know our neighbors and look out for each other,” he said.
While it is a Westgate sponsored event, people attend from throughout the westside, Christmas said. It’s also one of many activities, including the new Westgate Farmers Market, that highlights what Westgate has to offer.
“I think the sense of community is what is attracting new residents to Westgate,” Christmas said.
Parking is available in the Westgate Park parking lots, as well as along the street in legal spots, Christmas said.
The Friends of Westgate Park is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization dedicated to the beautification and welfare of Westgate Park by raising donations and applying for grants to fund the group’s mission. Volunteers pick up trash, maintain the flower beds and create new ones during beautification days, as well as host events in the park to build community friendships and share ideas for park improvements.
For more information, go to friendsofwestgatepark.org.
The Westgate Neighbors Association is a non-profit community civic organization that works throughout the year to improve the viability, livability and quality of life for residents of Westgate. For more information on membership to the association, go to WestgateNeighbors.org.
