Fright Night at the Rec Center
Last Friday, Bay Oaks had their 30th annual Fright Night in the Rec Center on site. There was food, tons of events, and even a costume contest for many of the age groups.
“We’ve spent a long time doing this, and it’s really amazing to see adults that used to come here when they were younger bring their children in. The Beach really is a family, and we are doing our best to give them a safe place to come have fun,” Sarah Mayher, lead program director for Bay Oaks, said.
Watching Sarah Mayher work the door illuminated the family philosophy. Children of all ages came up to hug her , parents greeted her as an old friend.
The rec center itself was packed. Kids of all ages were out in droves to have a fun, safe Halloween event in the comfort of a familiar location.
“It’s so heartwarming to watch everyone come to Bay Oaks for these events. Especially given sometimes it’s multiple generations of attendees. Fort Myers Beach really shows you what an amazing place it can be with little events like this,” Alison Giesen, museum director for Fort Myers Beach, said.
The costume contests went about as planned, with very young babies in costumes being carried up in their adorable onesies, up to younger elementary students with costumes both imaginative and surprising.
With two “versions” of a scare house available, one significantly easier of the scares for the younger crowd, and one with just a little bit more scares for the older crowd, it wasn’t a surprise to see the line to be dozens deep at any point in the night.
“Fort Myers Beach has a need for family friendly events, and we’re happy to be one of the locations that people can trust to bring their children to,” Mayher said.