Fall Parties in the Ozarks

Do you celebrate Halloween? Or is it a Fall Party that you enjoy? I am conflicted. I attend church regularly and do not agree that we are to celebrate ghosts and goblins. However,  I dressed up every single year of my childhood and my parents decorated the house in spider webs. They played scary music and tried to scare the kids of our neighborhood. Halloween was fun and I never felt ashamed to embrace it, nor do I have any negative memories of the "holiday".

That being said, I am a mother now with two precious boys that go to church. We had a really difficult time picking out costumes this year. See, my 8 year old wanted to be a "Scream" ghost and I wouldn't let him do it. I thought it was too scary and actually came to the realization that Halloween is really strange. What is the point of dressing up scary? Is it a devilish activity? Anyway, he ended up choosing to be a basketball player and my 2 year old chose to be a police officer. Those seem to be good choices of people to celebrate, right? Now we have to decide what activities the boys will participate in.....

On Saturday, we decided to drive up to Springfield to attend the TAME Pets and Pumpkins celebration. They put on this Fall Party to raise awareness and money for the local animal shelter. It was totally geared towards kids and pets. As Chief Purser of the Titanic Museum Attraction, I enjoy these types of fundraisers because at the museum we support the local animal shelters too. In fact, our Titanic mascots, Molly and Carter, the two loveable King Charles Spaniels that parade around the Branson, Mo. museum each day from 9am-5pm have a similar mission. They not only pay tribute to the dogs that were onboard the Titanic, but they also raise money for the humane society and they teach children and adults how to properly care for a pet.

 Old downtown Commercial Street in Springfield was filled with people and pets. We saw dogs, cats, and even a goat!!! all dressed up in costumes. (Notice the boys' costumes. Once the 8 year old got dressed in a basketball outfit, the 2 year old had to follow suit!) There was a giant bouncy slide that the kids enjoyed over and over again. Krispy Kreme had a booth where you could take a plain doughnut, dunk it in chocolate, and then cover it in sprinkles. YUMMY! We even got to roast marshmallows on a fire pit. The event offered many interactive booths for kids to enjoy.

But, the best part of our experience was when we saw Jaynee, our first class Titanic maid at this TAME event! It is always a pleasure to run into her and you will never believe what she was doing when we walked up. She was meeting a dog attendee at the event that was dressed just like her! Jaynee, you know you are a star when even local pets dress as you do. What a compliment! And, it is such a pleasure to realize that there are other Titanic Fans out there that want to help us remember and celebrate the lives of the passengers of the R.M.S. Titanic. 

Jaynee, the biggest animal lover that I know of, was there to help educate pet lovers on proper care for pets and to encourage our Springfield neighbors to come down to Branson, Mo. and meet Molly and Carter. Guests enjoyed meeting her and showing off their pets, who all wanted to "bond" with Jaynee.

We had a great time! This event's turnout was huge. TAME must have done some great marketing to receive such a big crowd of pet lovers. We will definitely plan to attend next years' Pets and Pumpkins event. Maybe the Titanic Museum gift shop will start carrying Jaynee costumes for dogs? They have a great dog section offering Titanic dog merchandise, compliments of Molly and Carter. Pet lovers always enjoy shopping the Titanic gift shop for Titanic doggy merchandise. If you haven't visited the Titanic Museum Attraction in Branson, Mo., you should plan to come before Christmas. You will find some really great Christmas ideas and I heard that Santa and His Reindeer will be coming back this year. Check it out...http://www.titanicbranson.com