You could probably feel the sugar high in downtown Emporia on Saturday.
Commercial Street was packed for Emporia Main Street’s annual trick-or-treating event featuring over 20 participating businesses as well as an expanded Dia de los Muertos Celebration. Emporia Main Street organized the trick-or-treat event and supported Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow with Dia de los Muertos. Main Street Events Coordinator Jessica Buchholz says it was fun to be involved in both activities.
Hispanics of Today and Tomorrow leaders were ecstatic with the expanded Dia de los Muertos activity list, which included the block party moving from the 10 block of West Seventh two years ago to the 900 block of Commercial. President Veronica Sotelo says the growth was notable after activities were canceled due to COVID-19 last year.
Activities included a parade, the aforementioned block party and a short film event at the Emporia Granada Theatre courtesy of No Coast Film Festival. Two community ofrendas were also organized, one at the Emporia Main Street office at 729 Commercial and the other at 915 Commercial, so residents could honor people who had passed away from COVID-19.
A host of Halloween activities are coming Sunday. The David Traylor Zoo will have its Boo in the Zoo from 3-4:30 pm. KVOE will broadcast from 2:30-4:30 pm, and the Sertoma Club will have its miniature train running from 3-6 pm.
Also, Emporia State University’s Locard Society of Forensic Science and the Emporia High Theatre Department are collecting pantry items for Corky’s Cupboard and the Emporia High Spartan Stop at 12th and Rural between 5-8:45 pm. People donating canned food will get candy in return. Emporia High theater students will also trick-or-treat on Rural, West and Neosho streets for canned goods to benefit Spartan Stop.
