By Bethany Chambers
Staff writer
VOLUSIA COUNTY - Calling all green goblins: This Halloween party is for you.
But this isn't a party exclusively for those in the store-bought likeness of the muscular, grass-colored fiend that is Spider-Man's nemesis, The Green Goblin.
In fact, this event is looking for something a little different: Kids dressed in costumes made of recycled, organic or vintage materials or modeling hand-me-downs from family and friends.
Spooktacular!, a children's event hosted by Chick-fil-A, Waldenbooks and local chapters of the nonprofit groups Surfrider Foundation and Green Halloween, is focused on teaching families about being 'green' this Halloween.
The event, from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Volusia Mall, will begin with a costume parade at Chick-fil-A in the food court, lead to a ghoul-filled story-time near J.C. Penney and culminate in crafts and snacks at Waldenbooks.
In this case, though, green is less about dressing like Shrek or Kermit and more about being earth-friendly. The event will have recycling and compost-bins, vegan cookies and candies, recycled crafts, educational material on going green and eating healthy and a door prize for the first 25 kids dressed in those "green" costumes.
"In the past, (Halloween costumes) were all about being the prettiest or the chicest, but now with the economic crisis and (green movement) everyone is talking about the environment all of a sudden," said Ciana Maglio, 29, local coordinator for Green Halloween, a national grassroots program dedicated to making holidays healthier and more earth-friendly.
This is Green Halloween's first local event since organizing locally earlier this year. The group is also working on other projects, including BIG, or Bikers in Green, which promotes fair trade leather and riding for green charities, and Victorian Christmas, which looks at making healthier recipes and homemade gifts during for the holidays.
For Halloween, though, going green is as easy as a trip to a consignment store - or that storage closet in the back of your house.
For Ms. Maglio, that means dressing as a kangaroo - a taupe outfit she already owns with her baby in a "pouch," a fabric wrap carrier, and some scrap material for ears and tail.
Daughters Angha Marie, 3, will be a princess in organic fabric and Ana Serenity, five months, a bunny rabbit in a pair of pajamas previously used by another family member.
For older kids, putting together a homemade costume can be a bonding activity - and one with a nominal cost, Ms. Maglio said.
"Even kids who say they don't want to spend time with their parents will still enjoy getting involved in a creative activity and showing the other kids what they made," she said.
At least one local store is catering to the vintage aspect this Halloween. Threads Vintage Emporium, which sells accessories, fabrics and outfits from decades past, is providing costumes for some Spooktacular! attendees and those trying to avoid the pre-fab look.
The store's motto is "Have a 'hippie' Halloween."
"Those old dresses your mom and grandma wore back in the day, we can cut them and turn them into fairy costumes. Just add wings," said store owner Sandy Unger, who has done zombies, sock-hop girls and cavemen, to name a few.
Beth-Ann House, assistant manager at Waldenbooks and the Spooktacular! organizer who will be dressed as a pirate, said she expects about 200 kids and their families to attend the event, and hopes the green theme will inspire them.
"We have seen more people than ever now trying to be good to the environment," she said. "But we need to take care of it even more."
Suggested ways to have a "green Halloween"
Eating green:
. Make chocolate chip cookies or gingerbread cookies by using vegan supplements (available at health food stores) and replacing one egg with 1/3 cup of pumpkin
. Trade kids presents or vegan treats for candy
. Have kids bury unwrapped candy collected from trick-or-treating to "feed" Mother Earth
. Give out fair trade chocolate, which is produced by companies in developing countries that pay workers competitive prices and use sustainable environmental practices
Being green:
. Do a reverse trick-or-treat, where kids collect donations for UNICEF
. Use canvas tote bags decorated with felt to trick-or-treat instead of plastic pumpkins
. Decorate the house or yard with real pumpkins or coffee cans painted like pumpkins instead of plastic decorations
Dressing green:
. Turn old sheets into bride's dresses, princess gowns, togas or ghost costumes
. Wear old clothing to be a scarecrow, zombie or grease monkey
. Turn a large box into a robot or TV
. Turn a paper bag into a pumpkin by painting it orange and cutting out a face or add sticks and leaves to be a bush
. Add a hat, cane and mustache to an old suit to be Charlie Chaplin
. Turn an old fur stole into a caveman costume
. Wear an old gown or prom dress to be Miss America or princess or add wings to be a fairy or butterfly
Ideas from Beth-Ann House, Sandy Unger and Ciana Maglio. For more ideas visit www.greenhalloween.org.