‘Great Pumpkin’ Conjures Up Huge Crowd of Believers
WHEELING – Hundreds of children and their families flocked to the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum’s front lawn on Wednesday night for an outdoor holiday fun and activities, along with an outdoor showing of the Peanuts Halloween classic “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”
The “Great Pumpkin Party” was spearheaded by Dr. William Mercer, a renowned Peanuts fanatic who is well known for his massive personal collection of toys and other memorabilia from the legendary comic strip – a portion of which occupies a sizable chunk of the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum in Elm Grove.
Along with event sponsors, Mercer organized the free event with the permission from the family of late Peanuts creator Charles Schulz.
Unseasonably warm weather accommodated the outdoor showing of the movie on an inflatable screen, contributing to a massive turnout for the special event.
“Oh my … I never expected this,” Mercer said of the throng of families – many of whom dressed in costumes for Halloween. “We thought we’d get 100. This morning we had 652 registered already.”
Even as the sun set just before the moving showing at dusk, temperatures remained comfortable in the pseudo pumpkin patch outside the museum.
“It’s awesome,” Mercer said. “The weather is just unbelievable, and everything is perfect for being outdoors. And we get to the ‘The Great Pumpkin.’ What could be better?”
Before the movie screening, guests were able to check out various stations set up around the property’s perimeter. There were complimentary beverages, cookies featuring Peanuts characters, backdrops and fall scenery for photo opportunities, and mounds of T-shirts, while supplies lasted.
The T-shirts featured the “Joe Cool” Snoopy logo, which Mercer was first allowed to utilize when he launched the “Joe Too Cool to Smoke” campaign back in 2007 when he headed the Ohio County Health Department. The smoke-free campaign featuring Snoopy’s cool persona in sunglasses was a hit, and more recently, the campaign expanded to urge young people to be aware of the dangers of vaping.
Many of the free T-shirts included the slogan “Joe Too Cool to Vape” on them.
“We’re seeing more of our kids vape, so Mrs. Schulz let me change it, and I was very happy about that,” Mercer said. “Even though we’re here having a good time, there’s still a message – we don’t want our kids to use tobacco or vape.”
While the Peanuts characters were the stars of the event, Mercer himself was treated like a celebrity by many on hand. Several adults sought him out to get his picture taken with their children. Many thanked him for all that he does for the community, and a number noted that he served as their family doctor years ago.
Alesha Jordan of Weirton, formerly of Wheeling, was enjoying the festivities with her daughter, Alexandra, and others before the movie hit the inflatable screen.
“I think this is cute – it’s really awesome. This is the first time we’ve done this, and it’s perfect weather,” she said, noting that she is no stranger to “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” but it’s new to many. “I have seen it a million times. For my daughter – hopefully this will be the first time watching it all of the way through. I tried to get her to watch it, because it’s a childhood favorite of mine.”
Tammy Robinson, dressed in the Peanuts Halloween spirit, even had her own dog in costume as Snoopy. She said “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is a holiday classic that is beloved by many generations – of young people and the young at heart.
“It’s my husband’s favorite,” Robinson said.