Monsters & Creatures at Portobello
Join us for Halloween celebrations at Place Portobello on Saturday, October 28th! Come and meet these mysterious characters who have captivated our imagination!
Who is Dracula?
Once upon a time, in the far-away country of Romania, there was a prince named Vlad Tepes. We also called him Vlad the Impaler or Drăculea (meaning “son of the devil” in medieval Romanian), because of his quite surprising punishment methods.
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Later, in the 19th century, an English writer named Bram Stoker heard about Vlad Tepes and wrote a book entitled "Dracula". The story featured a vampire Count living in a dark and mysterious castle in Transylvania, who turned into a bat and drank people’s blood to stay alive. This book became very famous and gave birth to the legend of Dracula that we know today.
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Count Dracula’s tale is also full of brave heroes who fought against him. The most famous hero was Professor Abraham Van Helsing. With his friends’ help, he hunted Dracula down to save people from their dark destiny. These heroes show us that even faced with frightening challenges, bravery can win.
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Today, Dracula has become a famous character in movies, books, and cartoons. Children love to dress up as Dracula for Halloween, wearing a black cape and fake vampire fangs.
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Come and meet the Great Count DRACULA, ask him questions and take some pictures with him on Saturday, October 28, from noon to 5 p.m. In the meantime, make sure you don’t damage his domain… his bats are always keeping an eye on his properties.
What is a Werewolf?
In a lot of stories, a werewolf is a person who, during full-moon nights, turns into a fierce wolf. They say that this happens when someone has been bitten by another werewolf. On these special nights, the person transforms into a powerful and wild wolf.
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Werewolf stories come from century-old myths and legends. These stories attempted to explain strange things that were happening in the world. Sometimes, werewolves were protectors of nature, and at other times, they were feared as frightening creatures.
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The idea of transforming from human to wolf fascinates the imagination. Stories tell us that the transformation of a werewolf can be painful, but also incredible. Werewolves become strong and fast, with sharp senses like those of a wolf. Some people even say that they can hear, and smell things humans cannot.
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Werewolf stories remind us how important it is to not judge others based on their appearance. Sometimes, werewolves were kind on the inside, but they were misunderstood because of their transformation. These stories show us that someone’s true qualities are not always visible from the outside. Remember that these stories are fun to listen to, but that they are just tales to stimulate the imagination.
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Come meet, ask questions, and take pictures with the powerful WEREWOLF on Saturday, October 28, from noon to 5 p.m. In the meantime, make sure you don’t damage his domain, or else watch out for your fingers. The werewolf has a bad temper and doesn’t like when we touch his things.
Who is Frankenstein's Monster?
In the 1800’s, scientist with radical methods, Doctor Victor Frankenstein and his brilliant favorite Igor Strausman, shared a noble vision: to help humanity become immortal. However, Victor’s experiments went way too far, and his obsession resulted in terrifying consequences.
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Through his brilliant research and after a lot of effort, Victor succeeded in giving life to his creation. But when he looked at him, he was frightened by his appearance. The creature had strange skin and stitches everywhere. Victor realized he had created a living being but didn’t know how to care for him. Deep down, Frankenstein’s creature was kind, but people feared him due to his appearance. He felt alone and unhappy. He tried to make friends, but every time, people rejected him. This made the creature very sad.
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Victor realized it had been a mistake to create a creature without thinking about the consequences. He understood it was wrong to play with life. At this time, the creature, who was upset and hurt from being rejected, asked Victor to create a partner for him. Victor refused. The creature finally confronted Victor and threatened to make his life miserable unless he gave him a partner. Victor hesitated, but decided it was too dangerous to create another creature. The monster swore to get revenge unless Victor changed his mind.
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This story shows us how important it is to take responsibility for our actions, and to have compassion and empathy for others, regardless of their looks.
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Come meet, ask questions, and take pictures with the horrible FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER on Saturday, October 28, from noon to 5 p.m. In the meantime, make sure you don’t damage the laboratory because he dropped an eye there to watch his domain.
What is a Witch?
Our story begins in an extraordinary museum called the "Horror Museum". That place is full of strange creatures and terrifying monsters, each one of them with their own frightening story. Curious children flock to the museum, intrigued by the unknown and attracted by the adrenaline of fear. One day, a kind witch named Seraphina arrives at the museum. Unlike the other witches we know, Seraphina has incredible magic powers she uses only to help others. She has heard about the museum and the fascination it creates for children but understands that it can be frightening for them.
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Seraphina decides to intervene. Using a special magical stick, she creates protective talismans charged with powerful positive energy. A talisman, once tattooed on a child’s skin, surrounds the child with an aura of security and bravery. Seraphina explains that she intends to protect children from the monsters by giving them these magical talismans. Some kids are hesitant, but the witches’ kindness reassures them. They accept her magical gift with gratitude.
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Proud of their protective talisman tattoo, kids explore the dark nooks and crannies of the museum. Instead of feeling an overwhelming fear, they feel surprisingly safe. The talisman gives them the courage to face monsters, and to their great surprise, monsters seem less frightening than before. As the kids walk through the museum, they realize the talismans don’t only remove their fear, they also increase their self-confidence. Thanks to the Kind Witch and to her magical powers, kids learn that courage can grow in the middle of darkness.
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Come meet, ask questions, and take pictures with the KIND WITCH on Saturday, October 28, from noon to 5 p.m. In the meantime, my dear friends, don’t forget that in every dark nook and cranny, there is a protective light.
Who is Hansel & Gretel's Witch?
The witch invited Hansel & Gretel into her home, but she had bad intentions. She wanted to eat them! Fortunately, the kids were smart and discovered her plan. They had to be clever to escape her house and the witch’s claws.
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Hansel & Gretel showed a lot of courage and wisdom in this adventure. They were able to escape the witch with trickery. They used their ingenuity to find a way home.
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This story teaches us the importance of caution and self-confidence. Hansel & Gretel followed their instincts and used bravery when faced with challenges. They also learned not to be tricked by appearance and realized the importance of staying united as a family.
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That’s it, my dear friends, our adventure through the tale of Hansel & Gretel’s witch comes to an end. This colorful story reminds us that even during tough times, determination and cleverness can help us overcome challenges.
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Come meet, ask questions, and take pictures with the WICKED WITCH on Saturday, October 28, from noon to 5 p.m. In the meantime, make sure you don’t damage her domain, as her cats are keeping an eye on her poisonous garden.
