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Cottonwood Heights Journal

A new family tradition comes to town: Legend of Sleepy Holladay

Nov 06, 2018 02:04PM ● By Jana Klopsch

Emma Shaver and her kids having fun decorating. (Lindsey Baxter)

By Lindsey Baxter | [email protected]

The University First Federal Credit Union held its first Legend of Sleepy Holladay, a free event for everyone to celebrate the Holladay community. The event, held on Oct. 12, 2018, 1–5 p.m., was filled with treats, Halloween movie–themed trick-or-treating, mini pumpkin decorating, lawn games and a drawing for a variety of prizes. Families, friends and employees gathered on this sunny day to get in the Halloween spirit.

The event got busier as the day went on and children got out of school. Kristin Foster, branch manager, said the inaugural event had about 60 visitors. Emma Shaver brought her two children. They were all dressed up for Halloween and excited for the events. The children loved getting candy from the themed trick-or-treating booth and enjoyed decorating pumpkins. When asked if they were having a good time, they both said a loud “YES” with big smiles on their faces.

Foster helped create the theme of the day and make the arrangements for this fun community event. “All of the different branches will be holding different events throughout the year. This is the first year we are doing Halloween and something we are trying to do annually and make it more of a tradition to get out into the community more,” she said. Foster and the other employees were dressed up in fun Halloween costumes to go along with the theme.

The Stringham family enjoying the yard games at the Legend of Sleepy Holladay. (Courtesy of Lindsey Baxter)

 Financial advisor Mike Stringham, with his wife, Heather, and his family came to get in the Halloween spirit. “The weather was very nice and it’s a great community event,” he said. As his family enjoyed the yard games, other families were trick-or-treating. Another family was enjoying decorating the mini pumpkins, while other children were picking out a big sugary baked good. 

The theme was centered on Halloween movies, which is how Andrea Wall, lead teller, came up with the creative title for the event. Once the theme of Halloween movies was decided, they needed to have a title. Wall came up with the idea from the movie “Sleepy Hollow” and everyone loved the clever play on words immediately. 

The movie-themed trick-or-treating booth was decked out with movies across the decades. Movies like “Psycho,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Hotel Transylvania” and “The Night Before Christmas” were all there for interests across the ages. Each movie had its own bowl for a nice variety of treats for those trick-or-treating.

“We were trying to come up with an idea that fit all ages. So like when we did the movies we went all the way back to the 1950s and did ‘Psycho.’ We were trying to hit all ages with the yard games and the sugary treats and the pumpkin painting to try to bring it home to the families. We are hoping to do this next year to help bring the community together,” Foster said. 

The community event is tentatively scheduled for a second run on Oct. 11, 2019 with similar events but a different theme.