UnderWater World hosted the Halloween A-Scary-Um (Aquarium) event on Sunday, Oct. 30. Admission was free for children, ages 3 to 11, who wore costumes during the event. The Sea Grill also gave a complimentary kid’s meal for kids in costumes.
The event started at 10 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m. Trick-or-treating for the kids started at 2:30 p.m. through 5:30 p.m. Stores in The Plaza such as Godiva, IHOP, LeaLea Lounge, Rimowa, Beyond The Box, and Sea Grill restaurant joined in on the Halloween spirit as well. Employees wore costumes and gave out candies to the children and some adults.
The Plaza building complex was bustling with people from the morning through the late afternoon. The parking lots, the exterior of the building, and the lobby were filled with all kinds of trick-or-treaters.
People came dressed as Marvel characters like Spiderman and Deadpool, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bag Bad Wolf, Game of Thrones characters, and many more. Locals and tourists enjoyed the variety of costumes that were present and others took pictures with their favorite characters.
Crowds of friends and families formed a line that ran throughout The Plaza. Parents waited about an hour or more just to take their kids or younger relatives inside the aquarium.
“We came here like at 1 p.m., so about 2 hours,” said Colbrick Diego, a student at George Washington High School. “I’m here with my aunt taking my younger cousins trick-or-treating.”
Dave Crisostomo, another attendee, took his granddaughters out trick-or-treating while waiting for their parents to return from buying food. “It’s super crowded. It’s a lot more crowded than I thought it would be,” Crisostomo said.
Some parents decided to leave because of the long waiting times, but most eager parents kept in line to celebrate Halloween with their family.
LeaLea Lounge on the first and second floor opened their play port for children to play and their parents to relax. Restaurants and cafes such as IHOP, Godiva, Cafe de Sirena, and Sea Grill’s Tumon Tacos also opened seats and tables for attendees to have a bite to eat.
First time father, John Calvo, shared his first Halloween outing experience with his son, Cassius, and wife, Paulette.
“We love it! You know it’s our first Halloween together and our son is eight months old,” Calvo said.