Little ghosts and witches hungry for candy won’t be the only ones out and about this Halloween.
Dapper Ghost Studio in Okotoks is adding a new element to the evening with plans to transport a black fibreglass tree decked out in Halloween-themed décor and lights throughout Okotoks neighbourhoods after dusk on Oct. 31.
Dapper Ghost Studio is a studio south of Okotoks operated by Leah Koski and her daughters Shawna and Alyssa, both of who are professional artists.
“With COVID this year we weren’t sure if there was even going to be trick-or-treating so we thought it would be a really nice thing for the community,” said Leah Koski.
The idea was inspired by a combination of the Halloween tree in Disneyland and the Christmas Eve Parade that has the Okotoks Fire Department escorting Santa Claus through town after dusk every year.
The Koskis had decorated a tree in Halloween décor and secured it to a flatbed trailer to tour through town last Halloween, but the tree had fallen off in the first few blocks and was destroyed.
“That was our prelude to maybe doing a Halloween parade this year,” Leah said. “Then COVID hit. There’s still a possibility sometime in the future.”
Alyssa said with her family’s love of Halloween and scary things in general, they agreed that decorating a tree and driving it around town would be a great way to lift spirits.
“We thought that, for this year specifically because there’s going to be a lot of kids here that aren’t going trick-or-treating, they have a way to still engage with the community and still see the tree drive by from the safety of their home,” she said. “It’s also great for people who are out trick-or-treating to see this tree all lit up drive by.”
The Koskis have been involved with downtown Okotoks and Elma Street events and activities from the Wizarding World of Okotoks to the summer’s Clothesline Festival and Art Sale, and are excited about organizing events on their own, said Alyssa.
“Dapper Ghost Studio is a platform for us to be able to do all of these kinds of things that we love doing,” she said. “It’s an outlet for our creativity. We have these ideas of things that we think would be fun for the community.”
Most of the events planned will have a fun and often spooky twist, she said.
Among them is Flamingoween, a self-paced scavenger hunt where participants search for lawn flamingos, that local artists dressed up in Halloween costumes, hidden in 16 businesses throughout Okotoks Oct 24-31.
Those who complete the scavenger hunt will be entered into a draw for various gift baskets donated by local businesses.
Whoever completes the scavenger hunt first will win a special prize. The event begins Saturday at 11 a.m.
Passports with the list of participating businesses are available at Lineham House Galleries.
For more details or to view the Halloween tree route visit www.dapperghoststudio.com
For updated information, follow our COVID-19 special section for the latest local and national news on the coronavirus pandemic, as well as resources, FAQs and more.
To see Alberta Health Services latest statistics concerning COVID-19 cases in the Okotoks area, including Black Diamond and Foothills County, go to https://www.alberta.ca/maps/covid-19-status-map.htm
