FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 19, 2007
Contact: Mary Pat Abele, (660) 888-1611

First Family Prepares for Annual Halloween Celebration

JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Matt Blunt, First Lady Melanie Blunt and their son William Branch will welcome visitors to "The Haunted Mansion …A Halloween Celebration at the Missouri Governor's Mansion" on Saturday, October 20. The festivities will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Missouri Governor's Mansion.

Beginning at 9:45 a.m., the Hill Country Dancers' "Dancing Pumpkins" will provide interactive entertainment on Madison Street. The First Family will greet ghouls and goblins in the morning.

Chris and Dan, two of the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales, will be available for petting and photographs on the Mansion grounds from 10 a.m. until Noon. Also on the grounds, a 30-foot-tall Talking Pumpkin, provided by Huber & Associates, Inc., will interact with families. There will be magic shows and dancing performances on the hour and half-hour under the big tent, beginning at 10:30 a.m. Alternating performances by the Capital Ritz Dancers and the Jefferson City Dance Academy will take place at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. The magic shows will be presented by The Gillams, with Denise and Aaron Gillam providing fun family entertainment, at 11:00 a.m., Noon and 1:00 p.m. "Trading Faces" from the First Christian Church Clown Group of Centralia will be on hand to provide face painting for young visitors. Several birds of prey will be on display from the Raptor Rehabilitation Project at the University of Missouri—Columbia Veterinary College.

Inside the Mansion, the first floor will take on an eerie look with ghoulish decorations. Storyteller Deb Swanegan will share some "Friendly Ghost Stories" from the Grand Stairway.

As children leave the Halloween festivities, books provided by SCHOLASTIC, Inc. will be available under a tent near the rear exit.

Sponsored by Missouri Mansion Preservation, Inc. (MMPI) through a charitable contribution from Edward Jones, all activities are open to the public free of charge and are accessible to visitors with special needs. MMPI is the statewide nonprofit organization founded in 1974 that oversees and coordinates the Governor's Mansion restoration and educational programs. Activities are in conjunction with Downtown Jefferson City's Harvest Fest.

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