By Manuel C. "Manny" Correira
When the weather is cooperative and everyone does their job as expected, you can expect positive results. Such was the case Sunday at the annual Bristol Halloween Walkabout, where scores of people paraded through the downtown area of town, primarily along State Street, dressed in their Halloween best outfits.
The success of this event centered around the contributions and hard work of the Bristol Police Dept., Bristol Merchants Association and the Bristol Prevention Coalition. According to event coordinator Bristol Police Lt. Michael Vieira, everyone pitched in to make this another successful event.
“I have to thank members of the Bristol Town Council, Elks Lodge 1860, and the Knights of Columbus, who gave me the money to ensure traffic safety. The Town Administrator (Steven Contente) has also been very supportive in this activity,” Lt. Vieira said.
Bristol Prevention Coalition coordinator Barbara Palumbo said the Halloween Walkabout is more than just handing out popcorn and candy.
“We look forward to this event each year,” she said. “It gives us a chance to coordinate with the community. It’s a family event, and hooking up with the Bristol Police Dept. has been great.”
Unlike like last year, when rainy weather kept the crowds down a bit, this year sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-forties and fifties attracted a much larger audience. There were even a couple of visitors from Florida in passing who said that they never experienced anything like this from where they came from. It’s that kind of event around these parts.
A case in point was members of the “Unlikely Strummers” musical group from parts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts who have appeared in the Bristol Halloween Walkabout the past five years. They agreed that coming to Bristol for this event is something they really look forward to.
Lt. Vieira was a pretty happy man at day’s end.
“We passed out over 700 bag of candy, and the costumes and community spirit was so enjoyable,” he said. “Thanks to all the kids, parents, and adults that wore a costume to enjoy the afternoon. The weather was perfect. The downtown area was bustling with Halloween delight. We’re already looking forward to next year!”