Callander Library’s Halloween costume exchange returns

One of the tastiest Halloween treats of the year comes early thanks to Callander’s Public Library, which is bringing back the annual costume swap this Saturday, October 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The library is located at 30 Catherine Street.

For the uninitiated, the Halloween Costume Exchange works like this – bring in your kid’s old Halloween costume and pick out a new one. It’s simple and it’s free, which makes the event a big hit with kids and parents alike.

If you don’t have a costume to exchange, but still would like one, come out anyway, because there are costumes for all the little ghouls. The event is open to everyone.

Library staff prefer that you bring in your costumes this week before the exchange on Saturday. This gives them a chance to organize everything for the big day. Also, if you happen to have a portable clothes rack that staff could borrow to help display the costumes, that would be appreciated. Give them a call at 705-752-2544 if you can help with that.

“It’s always been a really popular and well-attended event,” said Melissa Sones, the library’s CEO. “People can come to the library, have a look, see what we’ve got, and if something strikes their fancy, they’re welcome to take it.”

It’s a great way to get this year’s costume, and last year, between 50 to 60 people came out. The library hasn’t run out of costumes yet, Sones added, and anything that is left over is donated to charity.

The Halloween spirit is strong at the library.

As usual, staff have set up an elaborate display of spooky stories for patrons, and the selections are flying off the shelves faster than a witch on a broomstick. Especially at the kid’s display, where “all the Halloween books moved all month long.” The Halloween stories are so popular, that they’re out the door as soon as they return.

“It’s such a big holiday,” Sones noted, and the library is doing its best to keep the day extra special (and extra spooky) for the kids.

David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.