Cleopatra came, along with Colonel Sanders, Harry Potter, a Human White Board, Chick-fil-A, Pumpkin guy and a Vending Machine to the annual free City of Lakeland Halloween Festival today (10.27.19) at IH Park.
Sponsored by the City Parks and Recreation Department, the afternoon featured vendors giving out candy and prizes, costume contests, inflatables, face-painting, balloons and pumpkin-decorating. Rocky Redbird (with the Memphis Redbirds) and Good Neigh Bear (State Farm Agent Wil Ashworth) posed for photographs with children.
Link to Google album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/iZcc8FYsKjUyYU3q7
Emcee for the afternoon was Lakeland Commissioner Michele Dial, assisted by volunteers from Lakeland Middle Preparatory School, the Arlington High School Honors Arts students and Volunteer Lakeland.
Kevin Rooney, director of the Parks and Rec Department, estimated the crowd at approximately 500 people and he said the event was closed about 1:45 p.m. when all three available parking lots were full, about 175 cars.
Trophies were awarded to the top three place winners in the costume contests as well as the pumpkin pie-eating contest. Names of winners provided by the City of Lakeland.
Among the businesses giving out candy were Cannon Chiropractic, Mathnasium, Keep Tennessee Beautiful, State Farm (with Wil Ashworth), Boomerang Escapes, Memphis Redbirds, Trustmark Bank, BrownDog Lodge Veterinary Clinic and Orangetheory Fitness Lakeland. The Lakeland Lions Club was one of many sponsors.
… Photos by Jim Willis, Lakeland Currents
