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Manitowoc Halloween festival not sitting well with some

Posted at 10:57 PM, Oct 06, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-07 12:31:35-04

The first weekend of October marks Windigo Fest.

It’s filled with costumes along with some Halloween music. Organizers say it's a way to bring  another attraction to the city of Manitowoc, but not everyone is celebrating.

"Bringing this into town is welcoming the devil,” said Jody Dubinsky.

Windigo Fest is named after a character in a Native American Folklore.

"It kind of goes a long with Manitowoc, because it's a Native American word, you know, it's kind of a Great Lakes legend, so we decided to use that, because it was brandable,” said Dawn Dabeck, organizer and Pres. Of Windigo Society.

While everyone agrees it's a fictional character, it’s the story behind it that has people like Dubinsky concerned.

"Halloween is different. Halloween is when children dress up and a have a good time and get some candy. This is not that.”

The dates and a parade are also a concern for her.

"Having it on the 6th and 7th, that equals 13, and tomorrow they'll be having a walk across the bridge the wrong way, and that welcomes the devil,” said Dubinsky.

"It's a one way street, so we're coming the opposite way to end at the festival grounds instead of taking people away from it,” said Dabeck.

Despite the opposition, the festival will still go on and everyone is still invited.