By VERNON ROBISON
Moapa Valley Progress
Ghouls and goblins in all of their varieties came out of the woodwork to celebrate for the annual Halloween Party at the Moapa Paiute Reservation on Friday night. This community event has become a well loved tradition held each year in the main hall of the Tribal Center on Lincoln Street.
Tribal chairman Darren Daboda explained that tribal leaders had decided it was best to hold this event, not on Halloween night itself, but rather to party early.
“There were always so many things going on out there during Halloween night that the kids were too tired by the time that they came to the party,” Daboda said. “So we decided to plan it on the week before. And it has worked out well for the kids.”
The attendance at the party bore that out. More than 150 people crammed into the large main hall room. Along the walls, were about a dozen carnival games and activity booths for attendees to enjoy. Each booth was created by a different department within the tribal government. They included bobbing for apples, eating donuts from a string, bean bag tosses and many more.
A professional photo booth was also available so that people could have photos taken of themselves and their children in costume.
There was a costume contest, a pumpkin decorating contest and a pie eating contest, each of which had prizes for the winners.
A free community dinner of hot dogs and chili with cold soda to drink was served up to all attendees.
Tribal leader Laura Watters, who coordinated the event, was pleased with how the party went.
“It’s something that we do for the kids in the community,” Watters said. “It gives them a chance to come out, show off their costumes and enjoy themselves in something fun and safe.”
