Pink firetruck and more at Halloween fair in Elgin
Free hot dogs, a pink firetruck and bouncy houses were the most popular attractions at the Halloween Family Fun Fair in Elgin, which on Saturday celebrated its 25th anniversary.
Elgin resident Kris Broertjes said this was the third year in a row she took her children Marisa, 9, and Brandon, 12, and their stepsister, Rebekah Rumery, 13, to the event, held both inside and outside The Centre of Elgin.
“It's a nice treat,” Broertjes said, while her children waited in line for their turn at being the bounciest of them all.
The pink firetruck is part of the Northern Illinois chapter of the Guardians of the Ribbon organization, which supports the fight against breast cancer. Wearing pink gear, firefighter Steve Rusin of Island Lake showed off his truck to admiring kids, most dressed in costume.
The event usually attracts about 1,500 people, said Tina Link, director of community outreach for Sherman Health. It was hosted at The Centre by Sherman Health in conjunction with the city of Elgin. There were games like mini basketball, informational booths on topics like asthma and candy safety, and a costume contest. Each child got a bright orange reusable bag stuffed with an orange slap bracelet and a light-up necklace.
Three-month-old Rayhan Razzaq, sporting pirate makeup on his plump face, appeared to be the youngest attendee. Rayhan and his older brothers, Mubashar, 5, and Zakir, 4 — both dressed as Iron Man — got their pictures taken for free IDs distributed by Moose International, a fraternal organization based in Mooseheart, near Batavia.
“I think the ID is a very good idea,” said their mother, Iqra Razzaq of Elgin. “If they get lost, the next person that comes along, or the police, will know how to get them home.”
Four-year-old Amber Grasso, dressed as a fairy princess, and friend Bridget Lucas, 5, in a spider witch costume, had a great time at the fair, said Amber's mother, Shannon Grasso. And after the fair? “We'll go trick-or-treating downtown,” she said, as the girls squealed in excitement.