OXBOW — Sadie Smith, the manager of Oxbow’s Pool, is always interested in holding events that attract swimmers to the pool that she oversees.
One day, while looking for ideas on Pinterest, she came up with an idea of combining swimming and Halloween. Out of that, Summerween was born.
It took place on Aug. 6, starting at 6 p.m. and ending at 10 p.m.
Swimmers arrived in non-swimming attire, about 90 of them, dressed up as if they were out for an evening of trick or treating. They received treats from the pool office and then headed for the dressing rooms to get into clothing more suitable for swimming in.
Although the costumes may have stayed in the dressing rooms, the trick or treating continued in the water – “treats” were handed out for “tricks” that swimmers did in the pool – Sharks & Minnows (a contest to see who could stay underwater the longest), diving competitions and various games.
The not-so-scary evening was sponsored by the local Southern Plains Co-op. They provided the treats, along with beach balls, sunglasses and water guns. They also took care of the admission fees, making the evening free for all those who attended.
Sadie, who plans to return as the pool manager next year, said, “It was a big hit! Hopefully, we can have Summerween: Part II next summer”.
In the meantime, she and her staff have more planning to do before this summer comes to an end. Watch Facebook for details about the next event – a pool movie night on Aug. 22.
