Spooktacular

Spooktacular is a Halloween tradition in downtown Goderich. It's on Saturday this year a day before Halloween, from 3:30 - 5:00 shop owners will be offering FREE candy to the kids. I'm trying to think up a good excuse to get some candy myself, being a grown up is hard sometimes.
I am amazed at the number of times I now see the word Spooktacular used in marketing for Halloween. As far as I know, the word was the brain child of our summer student when she was conjuring up a Halloween event for the BIA a few years back.
Our downtown is a 360% full circle, although called The Square and because of the wide sidewalks and stores side by side, it's easy for the kids to go trick or treating. Store owners tell me this is a fun time for them. They can slow down and visit with friends and love seeing the children in costume.
The Municipal elections have come and gone, actually the entire month of October has come and gone. What is it about this time of year that everything seems to fly by, witches on broomsticks, fall leaves, October planning. Christmas is right around the corner, time to organize lights, parades, parties oh my. The light is changing, it seemed much darker this morning. Soon we will be turning the clocks back.

The BIA Banners we put up this year look so big bold and beautiful... boy do they stand out...Big Bold Beautiful a design company out of Whistler made them... but the high winds are playing havoc. The bracket arms that hold the banners are not doing the job. A Toronto company supplied the arms. Our Parks crew has had to install extra fasteners to hold the arms in place.

Our summer weather could not have been more perfect. We have had some rain and high winds for Fall but all in all pretty spectacular. This is such a nice time of year to come and see the Fall colours. It is still warm enough to walk along the beach boardwalk or the trails and although our stores are all gearing up for the Christmas season we are not so busy that we can't all take a moment to relax and enjoy a visit with you before the rush of the Festive season.

Fall in Goderich seems to be about colour, theatre, movies and meetings. The Film Festival just had "Get Low" playing last Thursday, our Goderich Little Theatre is running Dr. Barnardo's Children, there is a New Years Eve gala planned at The Livery, and the galleries have some really interesting art on display. Come visit sometime soon, before the snow flies.

Fall hours and a less hectic schedule

Well, I recently posted Fall hours for our BIA stores and restaurants on the website, which reminds me that yes Summer has been officially replaced with changing colours, softer tones, a less hectic pace and a short "siesta" before gearing up for our Holiday season. Time to put away the white shoes, but I do notice that others like me are still not quite ready to give up wearing their sandals.

Halloween is right around the corner. and The Square is a perfect place to come trick or treating. With broad sidewalks and lots of stores to go into, the kids can walk safely and parents can keep an eye on them easily. The BIA is hosting the ever popular "Spooktacular" again this year. Merchants in the downtown BIA will be handing out candy to the young ones on Saturday October 30th. from 3:30 - 5:00 pm. Look for the "Spooktacular" posters proudly displayed on store doors. Although Halloween falls officially on the Sunday, the BIA events committee thought with more stores open and so many kids coming we would do the Saturday.

When I look back on the summer months I smile. So many great things happened over the summer, with the Celtic Festival weather being good this year, the summer evening concerts were such a hit, the Bluesfest Friday night walkabout was amazing, I am booked for next year for sure and new stores opening in the downtown, Shanahan's Quality Meats for one. The Shoe Barn will be moving on to The Square soon as well.

We're planning for the Annual General Meeting right now. The hardest part of all this is choosing a date. Do you go before the election or after. If we get too close to Christmas people are booked with social events and The Livery is booked for Performance dates this year in November and December so it narrows available space to hold the AGM as well. But....... we did decide on a date, Wednesday, November 17th, because really who does anything on a Wednesday night and I will be sending out a tender to our restaurants to cater this busy event.
This year we are having the AGM at The Canadian Legion, upstairs. I know the Chamber held their Spirit of Success awards there last year and they did a great job of decorating the place. I am sure that the very talented decorating committee from the BIA can make it look splendid.

Well I will finish up for now, somehow this never seems like work, more like writing a letter to a friend.

Susan