Governor's Mansion traditional stop for trick-or-treaters

Carson City's streets were teeming with critters, princesses and ghouls of all kinds, and no place was busier than the Governor's Mansion.

The trick-or-treating at other homes in the historic section of Carson City was pretty good too, with some places showing off as extensive decorations as the mansion.

But the mansion is a tradition, with many saying they stop there every year. The Vargas family came as they usually do, with Allan, 11, and Jason, 10, dressed as vampires, and their 7-year-old sister Kiara in a princess costume.

"A dead princess," she insisted, though her bright costume made her look more like Glenda the Good Witch in the "Wizard of Oz" than anything ready for the cemetery.

Christopher Rowe, 6, son of Harriet and Tim Rowe was an Iron Man. His mom said they are yearly trick-or-treaters at the mansion, with this year Christopher picking up chocolate candy bars.

"We come here every year," she said. "It's a tradition."

Halloween at the Governor's Mansion has been a tradition for Helen Wiemer since 1991.

Wiemer, the manager of the mansion, said that by 7 p.m. more than 2,000 kids stopped for candy and a photo with the governor, though the Vargas kids weren't entirely sure who he was.

Wiemer said the event usually attracts between 2,800 and 3,000, and the numbers really don't vary much from year to year.

"Every year it runs about the same," she said. "But each year when I do this it seems like it's all new to me again."

One thing that was new was about a half-dozen Carson High School students in blue clothes, blue wigs and with their faces painted blue, performing as mimes. They were so convincing that several could have passed for lawn decorations.

Gov. Jim Gibbons handed out the candy as a staff photographer took photos of him with each group of trick-or-treaters.

"This is the fun part of the job," he said. "You give them candy and they are grateful. It's such a tradition, with the kids and the decorations."

Two-year-old Hailee Knight, dressed as a cat and carried a stuffed dog, as she waited at the mansion with her grandmother, Chris Knight, who said the tot picked her own costume.

"It's great to be out here with her," she said. "I had missed coming."

Pointing to her pregnant daughter-in-law, she indicated Grandma would be bringing the little ones in future years, too.

"We have a boy coming now too," she said proudly.

Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-7351.