Halloween in Harvard is about candy, kids, and costumes. But beyond this, Halloween embodies community, where the residents of Harvard come together and create a small-town experience out of trick-or-treating.
New to Harvard and costumed as a “blueberry,” youngster Grace Paro summed it up after she had emptied her piggy bank into a UNICEF box: “Well, we have to be good to everybody!”
Echoed in word and deed throughout the night, high school honor students, under the guidance of Mary Jane Shelton, volunteered to help distribute candy at individual homes on the Common. New this year, according to Shelton, was the inclusion of noncandy donations. Happily, 11th-hour candy drop-offs at the police station were much appreciated by the owners of downtown’s 30 or so homes, the old library, the real estate office, and the fire station.
A ghoulish Jimmy Nigzus scares visitors to the Congregational Church’s haunted hallways. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)
Scary things were happening at the Congregational Church’s haunted house. Long lines of children were welcomed, with a donation to Loaves & Fishes, by witch-costumed Gretchen Henry. Coordinator Kim Houston praised volunteer actors, saying that they were the best part of the evening. Houston would advise by walkie-talkie the right amount of “scary” the ghoul and zombie actors should perform. Visitors would walk through a tangle of spider webs and creepy décor, while those who chose the “super-scary” version might have shadowy demons sneak up from behind and surprise them.
Crossing the street had trick-or-treaters both dancing and looking askance at officers who were directing the on-foot traffic. Booming from Officer Charlie Genetti’s police cruiser came a chorus of “Monster Mash” and the Ghostbusters’ theme. Officer Ed Coffin seemed to join in with his commanding voice, saying, “Do not cross, do not cross. All set to cross.” According to Police Chief Ed Denmark, the crowd was lighter and well behaved, and he believed everyone was having a good time. Twelve-year-old Grant Denmark, costumed as Captain Fabulous with a rainbow mask, punctuated his point about having a good time: “I got a lot of candy, so that was cool.”
By 6:45 p.m, more than 700 hot dogs, too-many-to-count bags of popcorn, and many plastic cups of water had been handed out for free at the Lions Club tent on the Common. “We have 100 hot dogs left,” said lead organizer Tom Tonge, who, with Bob Hazel and Russ Shappy, was stuffing the remaining few into buns. When asked why they do this, Tonge explained, “Basically, to say thank you to the town for supporting everything we do.”
More fun than work
“It’s more fun than work,” a voice anonymously chimed in, seconded by another. Some 45 to 50 volunteers assisted in setup, teardown, and running the event.
“Halloween is the night,” said General Store owner Scott Hayward, who added that the evening was “quintessential Harvard.” Offering warmth and free chili, the second floor of the General Store welcomed children and adults. There, trick-or-treaters sat on the floor, surrounded by candy, haggling over trades. Parents and friends were enjoying store-bought libations, laughing and shouting above the din.
“There’s still time to donate to UNICEF,” said Hugh Silk, whose family organized this event. Silk and his wife, Laura, were taking a moment with friends to enjoy the General Store’s second-floor hospitality. The UNICEF boxes can still be dropped off at the General Store, said Silk.
Jasper Green explains his periodic table costume. (Courtesy photo).
Costumes were as varied as creative. Friends and family came together under themes, including sushi, chopsticks, and soy sauce; a police officer with a mom convict; Gravity Falls characters; Dr. Seuss and Thing 1, Thing 2, and Thing 3; St. Nick, a Christmas tree, the Grinch, and Cindy Lou; a hiker and a biker; pineapples and the Mad Hatter; Curious George and a banana; and bunches of football guys with Gronk and Tom Brady represented.
Other unique and stand-alone costumes included the Periodic Table in plain English; a pizza slice; French toast; Nemo; Minions; Pikachu and Charizard; aliens; robots; Jelly Belly candy; the Operations guy from the game; Totoro; Batman; a cowgirl; a Minecraft guy; Elsa; soldiers; a crayon; Harry Potter characters; princesses; Aladdin; butterflies; and cats. An iPhone app, an emoji, and the Cloud, with storage almost full, represented technology.
