PHOTOS: Did we spot you at Hauntfest?
“I personally have thought about that (mass shooting) as I was coming in,” Tittl said. “I wasn’t really sure how many people were going to show up. I think it’s solid as a community that everybody still decided to come out and get together and show up in a large amount of people without fear. I don’t know, I just think that says something about the community that we’re still able to pull together and be strong.”
Other attendees similarly said the shooting was on their mind, but that they saw Hauntfest as another opportunity to reclaim the space.
“It seems like people are trying to make it normal because you have to remember things like that, but you have to get on, in someway. It’s hard,” said Hauntfest attendee Adam Veitch. “We love Halloween and this seemed like the place to come for Halloween fun.”
Rain showers made the 34th annual Hauntfest a wet one and the weather did keep some partiers home. However, lines to get into bars and restaurants were still lengthy and a number of groups danced outside until well past midnight.
Organizers are still calculating attendance figures and total money raised, but as of Thursday, Natalie Skilliter, treasurer of the Oregon District Business Association, said that pre-sale tickets were already double what they sold at the same point last year.
Kyle Babirad, ODBA president, said once the rainy weekend forecast came out on Thursday evening, pre-sale tickets slowed and it’s likely not all people with pre-sale tickets showed Saturday night.
Hauntfest is the Oregon District Business Association’s flagship event and fundraiser.
“Just thank you to all of our loyal fans,” Babirad said. “It was pretty slow, but we will always be out here. We have fans that will come no matter what. I think two years ago it was 20 degrees and people came out, close to freezing.”
Hauntfest attendee and beer tent volunteer Anya Cosse said she felt the night ran smoothly and that she felt safe and secure knowing how much security was present.
Among the most popular costumes of the night included current Hollywood blockbuster icons such as the Joker and Pennywise from Stephen King’s It. There were also classics such as Frankenstein and his bride.
Unlike previous years, advertising and decorations for the fest did not feature any references to death. As security and attendee’s sense of safety was a priority this year, organizers said they wanted to be considerate of the tragedy that happened almost three months ago.
The Neighborhood Assistance Officer program once again assisted the Dayton Police Department with ensuring the night went as planned. On Tuesday, the program will receive national recognition in Chicago.
“As a resident of the Oregon District, I’d say that DPD always does a fantastic job of managing this event and our volunteers in the NAO program handle traffic control for the residential neighborhood,” said Major Wendy Stiver of the DPD. “Next year is the 50th anniversary of the NAO program and on Tuesday night here in Chicago, NAO Coordinator Cindy August will be accepting the International Association of Chiefs of Police Volunteer Leadership Award on behalf of the NAO Program and the Dayton Police Department. Three of our active volunteers have more than 40 years of service to the citizens of Dayton, which means they have a lot of Hauntfest experience. Their service is instrumental to this.”
News Center 7’s Monica Castro contributed to this report.
About the Author