ADDISON COUNTY — There is no shortage of Halloween activities going on in Addison County in the next week or so. From “trunk-or-treat” gatherings costume parades to story times, area children and their families will find something fun (or spooky) to do.
Coming up on Saturday, Oct. 24, the Vergennes Eagles will host a children’s Halloween party from 1-3 p.m. Children ages 1-10 are invited to come in costume to this free event, which includes a parade, games, crafts, goodie bags and temporary tattoos. Prizes will be handed out.
Those looking for something a little spookier can go to the Orwell Town Hall on Saturday at 4 p.m. Vermont master storytellers Tim Jennings and Leanne Ponder will share eerie Halloween folktales to school-aged children up through adults.
Other Halloween happenings are as follows:
TRUNK-OR-TREAT
Trunk-or-treat events, where children in costume gather candy car-to-car, rather than door-to-door, have become popular in recent years. These events, held in designated parking lots, give kids a safe, supervised place to collect treats. They also allow people who live off of traditional trick-or-treat routes to get in on the Halloween fun by decorating their vehicles and handing out candy from there.
Upcoming trunk-or-treat events include:
• Sunday, Oct. 25, 1-3 p.m., Vergennes American Legion. This trunk-or-treat includes an indoor costume karaoke dance party from 1-2, followed by trunk-or-treating in the Legion parking lot from 2-3 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m., Middlebury United Methodist Church parking lot. Cider and donuts will be served in the church, with additional fun and games.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Assembly of God Christian Center parking lot, Vergennes. In addition to candy, there will be food, a game center, a bouncy house and prizes.
• Saturday, Oct. 31, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Monkton Friends Methodist Church parking lot. Hot chocolate, coffee, tea and Halloween activities will be offered inside the church.
LIBRARY EVENTS
Russell Memorial Library in Monkton will hold a special Halloween story time on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10-11 a.m. for children in grades K-6 and their younger siblings. They are encouraged to come in costume.
The Lincoln Library will hold a kids’ Halloween program in on Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 3:15-4:15 p.m. Kids will be able design their own spider web, listen to stories, enjoy a snack and go on a candy hunt.
The Lincoln Library on Friday, Oct. 30, at 10:30 a.m., will hold a Halloween Story Time. Children are invited to come in costume for stories, songs, a snack a Halloween craft.
The Monkton Library will have trick-or-treating on Saturday, Oct. 31, from Library trick-or-treat in Monkton.Saturday, Oct. 31, 4-6 p.m. Kids who come in costume will receive a free book and a treat.
The Salisbury Free Public Library will host its annual pizza party for trick-or-treaters on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 5 p.m. Kids can enjoy pizza and cider before making the rounds for treats.
COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS
A number of outdoor Halloween celebrations are coming to Addison County. Among these are Pumpkins in the Park on the Vergennes city green on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4-6 p.m. The annual event features the usual pumpkin-carving contest, pumpkin lighting, bake sale, costume parade, food, music and fun for the family. New this year is a chili cook-off between area restaurants.
New Haven will be holding its first Halloween extravaganza on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4:30-9 p.m., at the New Haven Congregational Church and on the town green. There will be trunk-or-treat car decorating in the church parking lot from 4:30-5:30 p.m., followed by trunk-or-treating from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The rest of the evening includes pumpkin lighting on the green and a Haunted Congregational Church and Town Green. Refreshments will be served downstairs in the church.
Middlebury’s Swift House Inn will be the site of a family Halloween party on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Hosted by Middlebury College’s Page One Literary program, the party includes games, cookie decorating, spooky stories and more. Lunch will be served (RSVPs are requested at [email protected]). Costumes are encouraged.
After the Page One party, families can walk downtown to the eighth annual Spooktacular on the Middlebury green from 1-3 p.m. This area favorite will be held rain or shine, and will offer games, prizes, music and face painting, and the popular trick-or-treat parade down Main Street, where merchants will be handing out candy and other treats.
Helen Porter Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Middlebury is holding its 11th annual Lighted Pumpkin Patch in the courtyard on Friday, Oct. 30, from 6-8:30 p.m. Families are invited to come walk through a large showcase of jack-o’lanterns and luminarias, as well as check out the Halloween displays inside. Hot cookies and cider will be served.