16K Halloween revelers rock Rick Warren Bloctober
Nov 1, 2012 16:02:21 GMT -5
Post by PrisonerOfHope on Nov 1, 2012 16:02:21 GMT -5
16,000 Halloween revelers rock Rick Warren's 'Blocktober'
Saddleback Church event drew families from throughout Orange County for an evening of fun.
By ERIKA I. RITCHIE / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
LAKE FOREST – Four days after returning from deployment to Afghanistan, Ben Fisher was at Saddleback Church's megablock party.
Fisher, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton as part of the 1st EOD Company, called Wednesday night his "best Halloween ever."
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Kim Good enjoys herself during Saddleback Church's annual block party.
ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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"I just got back and I'm here with my family," said the 31-year-old, dressed in green as The Hulk. "And my kids are old enough to enjoy it. It's a safe place and it's friendly."
The Fisher kids, Alyssa, 4, and Elijah, 3, were Thor and Hawkeye, respectively. Danielle, their mom, was a black widow.
Church officials estimated that, by 7 p.m., 16,000 people from across Orange County had taken part in Halloween revelry that spread corner-to-corner across the 120-acre Lake Forest campus. As kids collected candy, visitors checked out more than 10 food trucks, a climbing gym, zip lines, obstacle courses and giant bounce houses. Jurassic Parties put on a reptile show complete with tarantulas, snakes and an alligator.
"It's a sense of community," said Rick Warren, pastor of the megachurch. "Not everyone is from Saddleback Church. There are people here from all over Orange County. I've met pastors here from other churches. This is a kids' night that's safe and fun. Everyone is still a kid."
Warren sat and took photos with kids in their costumes. He said he'd thought about dressing up as Iron Man but decided kids might not want a photo with him in that disguise.
Dubbed "Blocktober," the event is now in its third year. Having fun on Halloween is a Saddleback and Warren tradition. The church, now in its 32nd year, has held Halloween parties for 20 years, Warren said. One year, the festivity was held in a waterbed store. The church skipped a few years of Halloween, but created Blocktober three years ago.
Olivia Gramza, 10, from Mission Viejo, looked sweet as a cowgirl — complete with white-fringed boots.
"First I wanted to be a pirate," she said. "Then I looked at the website and saw a cowgirl, but my mom didn't want to buy something I'd wear for just four hours. So I threw something together. It took me about 10 minutes."
She and her parents enjoyed walking the church campus and stopping at the candy stops. Reese's were her favorite. Olivia also took advantage of the climbing wall in the sanctuary, kicking off her cowgirl boots for her mom's sneakers.
"I almost made it to the top, but the rocks were so teeny, it was hard to get a good grip," she said.
Jen Vessell, 39, of Aliso Viejo, dressed as Maleficent, an evil witch from "Sleeping Beauty" and drew looks in her black and purple garb. In her arms she carried her daughter, Madeline, 1, dressed as Sleeping Beauty.
"Probably the best thing tonight, was the picture we got with pastor Rick," she said. "My husband and I renewed our faith three years ago and since then we've been coming here. This will be our last Halloween in California and this will be the one thing we miss the most."
www.ocregister.com/news/church-376396-halloween-kids.html
Saddleback Church event drew families from throughout Orange County for an evening of fun.
By ERIKA I. RITCHIE / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
LAKE FOREST – Four days after returning from deployment to Afghanistan, Ben Fisher was at Saddleback Church's megablock party.
Fisher, a Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton as part of the 1st EOD Company, called Wednesday night his "best Halloween ever."
Article Tab: kim-annual-party-block
Kim Good enjoys herself during Saddleback Church's annual block party.
ROSE PALMISANO, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
MORE PHOTOS »
ADVERTISEMENT
"I just got back and I'm here with my family," said the 31-year-old, dressed in green as The Hulk. "And my kids are old enough to enjoy it. It's a safe place and it's friendly."
The Fisher kids, Alyssa, 4, and Elijah, 3, were Thor and Hawkeye, respectively. Danielle, their mom, was a black widow.
Church officials estimated that, by 7 p.m., 16,000 people from across Orange County had taken part in Halloween revelry that spread corner-to-corner across the 120-acre Lake Forest campus. As kids collected candy, visitors checked out more than 10 food trucks, a climbing gym, zip lines, obstacle courses and giant bounce houses. Jurassic Parties put on a reptile show complete with tarantulas, snakes and an alligator.
"It's a sense of community," said Rick Warren, pastor of the megachurch. "Not everyone is from Saddleback Church. There are people here from all over Orange County. I've met pastors here from other churches. This is a kids' night that's safe and fun. Everyone is still a kid."
Warren sat and took photos with kids in their costumes. He said he'd thought about dressing up as Iron Man but decided kids might not want a photo with him in that disguise.
Dubbed "Blocktober," the event is now in its third year. Having fun on Halloween is a Saddleback and Warren tradition. The church, now in its 32nd year, has held Halloween parties for 20 years, Warren said. One year, the festivity was held in a waterbed store. The church skipped a few years of Halloween, but created Blocktober three years ago.
Olivia Gramza, 10, from Mission Viejo, looked sweet as a cowgirl — complete with white-fringed boots.
"First I wanted to be a pirate," she said. "Then I looked at the website and saw a cowgirl, but my mom didn't want to buy something I'd wear for just four hours. So I threw something together. It took me about 10 minutes."
She and her parents enjoyed walking the church campus and stopping at the candy stops. Reese's were her favorite. Olivia also took advantage of the climbing wall in the sanctuary, kicking off her cowgirl boots for her mom's sneakers.
"I almost made it to the top, but the rocks were so teeny, it was hard to get a good grip," she said.
Jen Vessell, 39, of Aliso Viejo, dressed as Maleficent, an evil witch from "Sleeping Beauty" and drew looks in her black and purple garb. In her arms she carried her daughter, Madeline, 1, dressed as Sleeping Beauty.
"Probably the best thing tonight, was the picture we got with pastor Rick," she said. "My husband and I renewed our faith three years ago and since then we've been coming here. This will be our last Halloween in California and this will be the one thing we miss the most."
www.ocregister.com/news/church-376396-halloween-kids.html
