Downtown draws gobs of ghouls

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

Beetlejuice, Harry Potter and thousands of ghouls and goblins descended upon downtown Mansfield for the annual Haunt the Block on Thursday evening.

Business owners in the 100 block of North Main Street opened their doors to hand out treats, while other vendors lined the street, offering games, coupons, snacks and prizes.

“It was a huge success, the crowds were even bigger than we expected,” said Joe Jenkins, board chairman of the Mansfield Business Alliance, which hosted the annual event. “The business owners and vendors can’t wait until next year.”

The crowd was estimated at more than 4,000 people, Jenkins said.

“Shutting the street down was a smart move,” he said. “It made the event so much safer and we could accommodate so many more people.

“Business owners said this felt much larger than it has ever been before,” Jenkins said. “Every vendor had to get more candy.”