We attened Briarwood Boo Bash tonight and were disappointed for the most part. We arrived a little before 6p and parked near Sears. Since the event ran from 5-8p, we decided to eat dinner before arriving.
There were few stores participating and many were out of treats already – not even an hour into a 3 hour event. Stores with treats were easy to find as they had a long line. I think my daughter only got about 5 pieces of candy, a few stickers, and a temporary tattoo. The mall was packed, so even people who were there trying to shop had a hard time. I understand running out of treats at the end of the event, but to run out before the first hour is up seems like poor planning.
Things did improve toward the end of our trip. We were in line for Pinkberry who was giving out a sample, but the line was long, extending up the nearby stairs and I saw a few people with strollers merge into the line at the bottom. We decided we did not need the free sample that badly and purchased our daughter a dish (with no wait) which she loved. By the time she finished it (and she is a slow eater), we still would not have had our sample. It was $2.50 well spent! We also visited the Hands On Museum table which we had bypassed earlier (we figured we’d better get treats before they ran out). My daughter had a ton of fun there.
We have done the Main Street Treat Parade since 2006 and it is a much more pleasant experience. A larger percentage of stores are participating and I have not seen them running out of candy (although I usually leave by 1 or 2p.)
Next year, we will be skipping the Briarwood Boo Bash. Hopefully they can learn from this year’s experience. It would be nice if there was a higher percentage of stores participating to have the crowds more spread out. It would also be a great improvement if stores were better stocked with treats.
