Pirates, princesses, cowboys and witches alike gathered on the Middlebury town green on the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 30 to celebrate the third annual Halloween Spooktacular. The Better Middlebury Partnership, an organization dedicated to maintaining Middlebury’s vibrant local community, sponsored the event.
The day kicked off with Halloween-themed games on the green, including a jumping castle, a witch ring toss, sack races and a pumpkin beanbag toss. Festive music played from the gazebo as children moved from station to station, winning fun prizes and enjoying the cider and donuts provided by Happy Valley Orchard.
The most popular event of the afternoon was indisputably the jumping castle, as its line snaked up around the green. Young kids dressed in full Halloween costumes eagerly waited their turn to go in for up to 20 minutes.
Kayla Hoffman, a 10-year-old from neighboring Cornwall waiting in line, said that her favorite part of the day is always “listening to the Halloween music and trick-or-treating through town with all of my friends.”
“The shops in town always give out a ton of really good candy,” said Hoffman.
The ominous weather did not seem to deter any of the eager trick-or-treaters, as the green was bustling with children and adults all afternoon.
“Every year the weather has been threatening,” said Dave Donohue ’91, one of the event’s coordinators. “But every year the weather is just good enough, and we end up with a great turnout.”
After the kids finished all of the activities, many lined up at the Middlebury Town Post Office to begin their parade through town. The gaggle of youngsters, whose costumes were both adorable and spooky, walked down Main Street, stopping to trick-or-treat at local businesses.
The parade, a Spooktacular staple, was particularly exciting this year, as the Spooktacular coincided with the town’s celebration of the Cross Street Bridge’s opening. The children were the first pedestrians to officially cross the new bridge, followed by a parade of antique cars from each decade since 1980.
“The parade was super fun to watch,” said Ellie O’Brien ’14, a volunteer at the Spooktacular. “The kids were all dressed to the nines. My personal favorite a boy dressed as a homemade plate of spaghetti and meatballs.”
In addition to providing a fun, festive way for the residents of Middlebury to come together to celebrate Halloween, the Spooktacular also helps boost the local economy. Many people from neighboring rural areas came to Middlebury to partake in the celebrations and shop.
“The Better Middlebury Partnership organizes three or four community events a year and also has a community engagement group that lobbies for pro-business changes within Middlebury,” said Donohue.
Other events organized by the Better Middlebury Partnership include the annual Chili Festival and Very Merry Middlebury, a Christmas event held in early December.
Spooktaular event treats all in town
Comments
