Gasps of awe and questions of “How?” came from the approximately 130 people crowded into the Bryson Lions Club Sunday afternoon as Ottawa-based magician Chris Pilsworth stunned the audience at the community’s first ever Halloween magic show.
The mats on the floor were overflowing with children eager to figure out how Pilsworth made things appear and disappear. Pilsworth has travelled the world performing tricks, some of which won him awards.
“The beginning of the show usually starts the same way and I usually end the same way,” Pilsworth said.
“But the middle section is fluid so that I can pick and choose the pieces of magic that I feel the audience would enjoy the most.”
From his bag of tricks, Pilsworth pulled out a mysterious rope that managed to break apart and reattach itself over and over again. He also made a glass of juice appear from a newspaper, pulled Brad Pitt out of an envelope and pierced a balloon without popping it.
Meghan Griffin, vice president of the Bryson Recreation Association, said that Pilsworth was so popular at the summer camps hosted by the association this year that they decided to try something new and bring him back for a full magic show.
Usually, the Bryson RA hosts a Halloween dance. Griffin said that they were actually getting to a point that the dance was too big of an event for their space.
“We’re kind of a victim of our success,” Griffin said. “Last year, we had so many kids for the Halloween dance that we almost needed to change venues. This year, we decided to change the event altogether to accommodate all age groups.”
At last year’s dance, they collected donations for Bouffe Pontiac rather than charging admission, and did the same at Sunday’s show. Griffin said that it’s because of the support from the community that they can host events like this for free.
“All summer, we have different events like ball tournaments, poker runs and so many fundraisers that we’re able to offer this event for free,” Griffin said. “We really thank our community for always supporting us.”
In total, the Bryson RA received $194 in cash donations and 152.2 lbs in non-perishable food items and personal hygiene products.
