All Hallows’ Eve returns to Ohio Village with a new look – Spectrum News

All Hallows’ Eve returns to Ohio Village with a new look  Spectrum News

The Halloween event returns with familiar traditions, brick streets and changes to the historic village. COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Halloween tradition is returning to Ohio Village after a two-year break, and visitors will notice some changes. All Hallows’ Eve is back with familiar activities, including fortune telling, traditional dancing and a look at how people mourned the dead in the 1890s. John Downs, a historical interpreter at Ohio Village, plays an undertaker who introduces visitors to some unusual funeral traditions. “Back in the 19th century, America, if you didn’t have a large enough family to have mourners at your wake, they would hire people,” Downs said. He’s one of several characters visitors will meet throughout the village.

Staff from across the Ohio History Connection have been getting ready for the event, decorating roughly a dozen buildings. During the event’s two-year break for renovations, crews replaced dirt and gravel around the town square with brick streets. They also raised the streets about a foot to bring them level with building entrances, eliminating the need for the old boardwalks. While the village looks different, many of the Halloween traditions are staying the same. That includes a telling of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow around a bonfire, complete with an appearance by the Headless Horseman. Neil Thompson, marketing department manager for Ohio History