(From left) Brian Smith will guide the festivities at the Party in the Stacks! The Enchanted Forest. Library Excutive Director Chis Angeli will be a judge of the costume contest. Dr. John Vecchitto, last year’s winner for the “Most in Character” category was dressed half as an angel and half as a devil for Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons.
On Saturday, October 21 and just in time for Halloween, the Milford Library will be in costume, transformed into an enchanted forest for the annual Party in the Stacks! Presented by the Friends of the Milford Library, the fundraiser promises a treasure hunt designed by renowned author and New York Times puzzler Eric Berlin, music provided by The DJ Company, delectable food catered by Christopher Martins and a costume contest. People can bid on some 40 lots of silent auction items, including a South African safari for two or four. Online bidding has already started and will be available until noon on October 20 with final bidding at the Party itself.
Legendary DJ and Milford’s own Brian Smith will guide the festivities. Smith gained fame as half of the Smith and Barber radio show that aired for over twenty years on WPLR. Now, fans can catch his show on the Quinnipiac University-owned commercial radio station WQUN (1220 AM) where the focus is on local news aided by a designated news staff, a luxury few stations enjoy. Smith’s show is both music and discussion and airs from 3:00 to 6:00 pm Mondays through Fridays.
Smith will be dressing up again this year along with many of the partygoers for the costume contest. “By wearing a garb inspired by the enchanted forest theme or by dressing as your favorite book character, you will be able to vie to win the Costume Contest. We encourage costumes, but they are optional,” said Friends of the Milford Library President Anne Bolin. Costumed guests will be photographed as they enter and their photos will be projected behind the circulation desk for the judges to review and everyone to enjoy.
According to Christine Angeli, the library’s executive director and costume judge, about half the guests from last year’s party donned costumes. Last year’s winner for the “Most in Character” category was dressed half as an angel and half as a devil for Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons. The guest garnering the “Most Creative” award was garbed in fifty shades of grey for, you guessed it, E.L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey. And grabbing the “Funniest” category was a sartorial interpretation of Catcher in the Rye: catcher’s mitt, facemask and pads with a healthy covering of ryegrass. This year’s costume categories are “Most Original,” “Funniest,” “Most In Character,” and in keeping with the evening’s theme, “Most Authentic Denizen of the Enchanted Forest.” Joining Angeli in the judging efforts will be representatives from the party’s sponsors: The Crushed Grape, The Milford Bank and Shop Rite of Milford.
Whether dressed in costume or more conventional party duds, the photo booth provided by Hector Moralez of 24/7 Entertainment will capture the excitement and whimsy of the evening and provide photo souvenirs for partygoers to take home.
Party in the Stacks! will be held at the Library on Saturday, October 21 from 7pm to 10 pm. A limited number of tickets, which are $50, are available on the library’s website or at the circulation desk.