Halloween — the time of year when dressing wacky is more than a Homer fashion statement, treats are more plentiful than scales on a salmon and scaring each other gets a laugh…hopefully.
Schools and entire neighborhoods, youngsters and senior citizens, the U.S. Coast Guard and the local police department all get in the act, beginning days before and continuing until after Oct. 31.
For young Jaelynn Thompson, 4, of Homer, putting on a costume isn’t exactly new, but it reaches a huge audience Saturday when she represents Alaska in the Hub Network’s first annual Halloween Bash. The televised event is hosted by Saturday Night Live’s Kenan Thompson, with performances by pop star Cody Simpson and the country’s first teen-girl pop group Fifth Harmony. The costumes will be judged by the queen of make-it-yourself Martha Stewart, as well as Hal Sparks of Spider Man 2 fame and actress-singer-dancer Coco Jones.
Jaelynn, one of 50 semi-finalists from across the country, is in Los Angeles for the event and will be competing in the “Blast From the Past” category. The winner of the competition will receive $25,000 and a chance at a walk-on role on the Hub’s Emmy award-winning series, “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series.”
Jaelynn’s competition costume is a one-of-a-kind, made by her grandmother, Dawn Cabana. It isn’t her favorite, however.
“Spiderman,” was her one-word answer when asked which she liked wearing the most of all the costumes her grandma has made. Jaelynn has participated in pageants since she was three months old, and has an impressive collection of costumes, as well as titles, ribbons and crowns from her many wins.
“She absolutely loves them,” said Jennifer Cabana.
Asked what it is she loves, Jaelynn had another one-word answer: “Winning.”
There are plenty of “winning” activities this Halloween on the southern peninsula, whether it’s costume competitions, pumpkin-carving contests or by donating two nonperishable food items for the Homer Community Food Pantry as admission to the popular Haunted Hickory on Friday.
McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.
jackinsy@homernews.com.
