POTSDAM - Hundreds made their way to downtown Potsdam on Thursday evening for Fright Night, dressed as everything from Star Wars characters to Angry Birds to the traditional ensemble of Halloween ghouls.

The event kicked off with Step It Out Dance Studio performing various Halloween-themed songs on the closed section of Market Street, including Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Many parents held their dressed-up children on their shoulders, including Jonathan Murray of Potsdam. His son, Rhys, was dressed as Spyro the Dragon, a popular video game character.

Businesses across downtown Potsdam opened their doors to offer candy, cookies and activities for local children. Some stopped into the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce for bingo, where the brothers of SUNY Potsdam’s Psi Phi Delta fraternity were offering a helping hand. Others, such as the Pike family of Potsdam, stopped at Northern Music & Video to play with a set of drum-pads, after the store ran out of free candy to give away.

There was no age too old or too young for costumes. Many adults came in costume, like Chris LeFrancois, who dressed as a character from Alice in Wonderland, and many infants were dressed up as miniature Halloween characters and rolled around in strollers.

Amidst all the treats and activities, some used the opportunity to spread messages of good health and well-being. Jazzercise offered a free dance/fitness class at 6:10 p.m. and several youth volunteers with Reality Check St. Lawrence County spread materials warning young people about the dangers of tobacco use.

Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.

You can continue on to this article in a few seconds, or you can visit one of our websites:

• Watertown Daily Times
• The Ogdensburg Journal
• Daily Courier-Observer