TREAT: THOUSANDS GO INDOORS TO CELEBRATE

Little Bo Peep brought her sheep, the bride arrived with her groom, Mickey escorted Minnie, Robin Hood rounded up his band of merry men and Old McDonald brought the entire farm, from cows to a bumblebee, and a piglet with a blond ponytail.

The Great Pumpkin was at his glowing best Thursday night when West Park Mall sponsored its annual Safe Halloween Party.

This year's festivities attracted an estimated 4,000 youngsters and young at heart. Although the weather outside was damp, the mall was transformed into a weather-perfect pumpkin patch for Halloween.

That same damp weather may have helped make Halloween an uneventful night for police in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Scott City.

Police in those three cities reported no Halloween-related problems Thursday night.

Michele Mungle was among the crowd at the mall's Halloween Party.

"This is great," said Mungle who attended the party with five grandchildren.

"It's a safe way for a family to spend Halloween," said Mungle, who was dressed as a devil. Her 2-year-old grandson, Michael England, was dressed as "a little devil."

Dustin England, 3, was decked out in a Big Boss Man costume; Amber England, 4, was a cheerleader, and Douglas England, 3-months old, was tucked into a puppy costume.

Another granddaughter, Chele Ford, 5, was dressed as a witch, and Chele's parents, Scott and Teresa Ford, were Dracula and Vampira.

Mungle's 13-year old son, Gary, was in traditional spooky attire as the Grim Reaper.

The Mungles, Englands, and Fords were representative of many families who were in attendance at the annual mall Halloween party.

The costumes were as varied as participants' ages. Among the most attention-getting costumes were those of Ricky Jones, Pulaski, Ill.; and Kim Taake and her husband, Mark, both of Mounds, Ill. Jones and Kim Taake were dressed as senior citizens, one with a walker, the other with a cane, while Mark Taake proceeded to perform a marriage ceremony.

"We're having a ball," said Jones. "This is a great way to spend Halloween. We were here last year as spectators, and decided to come back this year in costume."

"This is the sixth year for the Halloween party," said Anthony (Tony) Stephens, mall manager. This has to be our biggest crowd yet. The Halloween party is one of our most popular events here."

In early activities Thursday, a Halloween parade of more than 500 costumed children and adults threaded its way down the JCPenney corridor, the Venture corridor, and the Famous Barr corridor to the judging grandstand, where Cape Central High School National Honor Society representatives selected winners in 15 different categories.

Following the parade and judging, participants were invited to "trick or treat" at mall stores.

"A majority of the mall merchants participated in the trick-or-treating," said Stephens. "You see adults and youngsters alike here. This is the one night of the year that everybody can be kids for the evening.

"All the activities are designed as an alternative to neighborhood trick-or-treating," said Maggie Friend, mall marketing director. "It's mainly for young children who perhaps are afraid of the dark or whose parents are concerned for their safety, but goblins of all ages are welcome at the event."

Ashley Freeman, 6, dressed as Miss America, said the mall party was better than going trick-or-treating around the neighborhood.

"We get more and better treats," said Freeman, daughter of Mike Freeman. "We look around to get ideas for costumes for next year," said Lisa Dexter, Mike Freeman's fiance.

In a competition among mall merchants, Elsie's Crafts and Gifts won `Best Merchants Display."

Mall employee costume winners were Mark Kelsay, JCPenney, as Beetlejuice; Julie Hoffemeister of Waldenbooks as Court Jester; Mary Sexton of Arthur's, as a Fashion Dog; and Laura Farmer of Warehouse of Leathers as The Fly.

Winners in the 15 categories were:

Most Monsterous: Richard Nenninger, Gordonville.

Most Spook-tacular: Jaime Rogers, Jackson.

Most Boo-tiful: Becky and Taylor McMillan, Cape Girardeau.

Most Bewitching: Kendall Kamp, Cape Girardeau.

Most Eerie-sistible: Sarah Rose Schwepker, Cape Girardeau.

Most Satyr-ical: Brian Brittany, Brad Brittany, and Bruce Brittany, and Brooke Ulrich, all of Grand Chain, Ill.

Most Fiendly: Joshua Hubbard, Cape Girardeau.

Most Macabre: Cheri Crader.

Most Ghoul-orius: Tosha Doni, Cape Girardeau.

Most Ghostly: Charles Kent, Cape Girardeau.

Most Terror-ific: Chris Wood, Chaffee.

Most Mall-icious: Carol Faust, Jackson.

Slickest Teen Terror, sponsored by Glik's: Matt Smith, Jackson.

Best Little Buckeroo, sponsored by Everything's A $1.00: Ryan Modglin.

Most AdVENTUREsome, sponsored by Venture: Richard Kirk, Jackson.