By Tanya Faulkner
The spooky season proved to be a popular occasion in Upper Ferntree Gully, with a local community group seizing the opportunity to make new connections in the community.
Coonara Community House have been participating in Halloween celebrations for the past decade, handing out candy to local children dressed in their favourite costumes, and coming together with their neighbours.
Event coordinator Mandy Limb said this year, however, was their busiest year they’ve had in a long time.
“We gave out 1500 lollies between 4pm and 7pm, with so many children coming along to say hello.
“Our neighbours carried on even longer than we did, it was that busy.
“There were just streams of families walking up and down Willow Road,” she said.
For Ms Limb, it was all about the costumes and connections being made in the community.
“The costumes were amazing, from inflatable dinosaurs to cute pumpkins, we were so inspired by the efforts that the community went to, it was great,” she said.
Many of the students who went through the Community House on the evening of 31 October were those who Ms Limb said were past students of their kindergarten.
“The best part about Coonara is seeing the kids that used to attend early learning who are now teenagers, who had come down and had a chat about their kinder experiences.
“One boy who came along, who used to go to our 3-year old kindergarten, walked past dressed as a tradie with his teenage friends, and I heard him telling his friends ‘I used to come to this kindergarten, it was amazing’.
“Once we got talking to him, we then recognised who he was.
“Good to have that conversation, bringing a sense of belonging to the community, with people still coming back for our events.
“It was so special, creating a sense of belonging in the community through our young ones, really was so amazing,” she said.
For the Community House, Halloween is an annual tradition to deepen its community connections.
“For us it is wonderful to be able to connect with our neighbours, who go all out decorating houses.
“We often share lollies with each other, and we like to check in and see how they’re going,” she said.
Ms Limb said the house hosts a lot of events throughout the year to encourage locals to stay connected with each other.
“For us in the community it’s about coming together and connecting, it’s the most important thing we can do.
“We try to encourage togetherness throughout the entire community, and our doors are always open,” she said.
