MRE Carnival was a ghostly good time

This pooch was decked out in a super hero costume for the 44th Annual Miramar Ranch Elementary School Halloween Carnival. (photo by Denise Herich)

MRE Carnival was a ghostly good time

The 44th Annual Miramar Ranch Elementary School Halloween Carnival was another success. Youngsters and adults enjoyed the wide assortment of booths, activities and the general atmosphere.

Attendees seemed to be extra motivated in showcasing their Halloween costumes, and there were some impressive ones. There was a fine array of Star Wars characters, super heroes and muscle men costumes. There was a Super Mario costume, a handful of witches and one scary headless character. At least two dinosaur costumes were crowd favorites, and one woman’s costume — which appeared to be a long-haired male rock star with whiskers — was so authentic it caused numerous stares and second-looks.

The cake walk, was a big hit. So were the on-going activities such as the hula hoop contest and water balloon throwing contest. Another popular attraction was laser tag, complete with two huge inflatable forts. The food booths were never without customers. As usual, the haunted house was the subject of much chatter among the kids who were saddled with the choice of going through the scary version with lights out, or the “fun,” not-so-scary version.

The weather was sunny and surprisingly mild, especially in the shade, and the crowd seemed calm, creating an easy-going atmosphere. This year’s event was well organized, and the pedestrian traffic jams that occasionally caused bottlenecks and slowed the walking traffic in past years was nearly non-existent. In addition, volunteers and those working at carnival booths and activities were polite and patient, making sure the kids had an enjoyable experience.