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By Ed Avis
If you’re a regular reader of NCA Today, you’ve probably seen the little news articles about the upcoming Spring Fling. But what exactly is it? Technically, it’s an informal annual gathering of costumers, not officially operated by the NCA. In reality, it’s a fun weekend of socializing among peers!
“The reason we’ve attended Spring Fling for so many years is the friendships, the mentorship, the camaraderie,” says Pam Markel, current NCA president and owner of Illusive Skull Costume Castle in Fairmont, West Virginia. “We sit and talk and laugh. It’s just a fun time to get together.”
Spring Fling was born 30 years ago when NCA members Al and Carol Pockok, who owned Mr. Fun’s Costumes & Magic Emporium, invited some costumer friends to their home on Tappan Lake in eastern Ohio. Attendees had so much fun over that long weekend sharing ideas, playing games and shopping that word quickly spread. Each subsequent year more and more people came, until the event peaked at nearly 80 attendees by the early 2000s.
“The costumers came from all over the country and England,” says Louella Torrence, owner of Drop Me a Line Costume Shop in Allentown, Pennsylvania, who has attended every one of them. “Al Pockok was always our guide, finding places to visit and making sure we got a discount at Zinc’s Fabric. One year we visited a Funeral Home Museum and another time we went to Clark Gable’s home. We do a lot of talking, eating, talking some more, eating and talking and eating at the same time.”
One memorable year all 75 attendees crammed onto the Pockok’s wrap-around porch for a photo – and the porch broke away from the house! The Pockocks evidently paid a price for all that eating the attendees had been doing.
Education, to some extent, has also been part of Spring Fling. For example, one year the group learned how to make a showgirl headpiece using a Clorox bottle. But the informal education may be even more valuable – attendees freely share business tips and advice with each other.
“Everyone who gathers lets us pick their brain,” Torrence says.
Another feature over the years has been trading and selling costumes and accessories. “Al always had a swap table,” Markel says. “Everybody would bring things to swap.”
When Al Pockok’s health began to falter about a decade ago, the event moved to Sugarcreek, Ohio, and NCA members Stan and Kathy Thomas took over as hosts. The traditions have continued there, with lots of games, shopping, talking, learning and eating. Always eating!
The 2022 version of Spring Fling is May 5 to 8 at the Dutch Host Inn in Sugarcreek. There are still a few rooms available if you would like to join in. Click here for details.