Halloween in Montpelier, by Willem Talbert
Montpelier High School Student and MA Intern
The fall season in Montpelier is full of things to do and see. The turning of the leaves paired with the brisk Autumn weather brings in many new people. The month of October in Montpelier is a combination of Foliage festivities, later being outnumbered by Halloween-themed events. Halloween is a favorite holiday locally, but some events tend to fall under the radar. You may ask yourself, what kinds of Halloween celebrations happen in Montpelier that are so special?
The city’s Halloween spirit can start to be seen a few weeks before Halloween when stores, restaurants, and homes are attired with Halloween decor. A few days before Halloween, companies, and organizations work together to host Halloween-themed events. The Friday before Halloween, Preston’s Kia located on Gallison Hill Rd, is hosting a “Trunk or Treat” event from 4 pm to 6 pm. This fun event aimed at kids puts a spin on traditional trick or treating. Instead of walking from house to house, children are invited to walk from car to car collecting treats from other participating parents and caregivers. Onion River outdoors hosts remarkably entertaining 5k costume race. Adults and kids alike are welcome to participate in what is referred to as the “best costume race in Vermont”. The race will kick off at 9 am on Sunday the 30th, and follow a course through downtown Montpelier. To register please visit https://www.runreg.com/autumnonion
On the night of Halloween, the streets of downtown Montpelier are bustling. In addition to the traditional Downtown Trick or Treating from 4-5:30pm, locals usually keep an eye out for the annual Flash Mob dressed in zombie-like costumes. However, rumor has it there will be no flash mob this year, but we can look forward to a bigger and better dance celebration next year! This year instead, there will be a celebration, live music, and parade from 4-6pm featuring the ZomBEE HoneyBee Steelband! More information about the block party can be found on our calender: https://montpelieralive.com/calendar.
As the sun sets, trick-or-treating begins. Montpelier’s numerous neighborhoods provide a tricker-treater with a variety of options. A local honey hole that visitors might not be aware of is College street. In past years, traffic flow has been stopped there on Halloween to let the trick-or-treaters get the full College street experience. No matter where a tricker-treater might go in Montpelier, they are almost guaranteed to come back with a lot of candy.
