Hundreds of costumed trick-or-treaters of all ages swarmed the Common and adjacent streets Tuesday night to celebrate Halloween in Harvard, an annual tradition whose popularity emptied most other neighborhoods of revelers and created a social event that rivals in size the town’s annual Fourth of July extravaganza.
As crowds of parents and kids began to arrive at 5 p.m. Center Cemetery was empty, while beyond its walls the ghosts, goblins, and more contemporary spirits of Harvard filled the General Store parking lot and made their way onto the grassy Common, up Elm Street, down Ayer Road and Mass. Ave., and onto Fairbank Street.
The evening was a chilly one, with temperatures hovering in the upper 40s. The police were on hand with floodlights and iridescent gear to keep the crowd safe at key crossings. Chief James Babu reported that two 11-year-olds had become separated from their parents—then found—but that otherwise the evening was without incident.
Pat Jennings, Della Jennings, and Craig Kilmer prepare to take on the trick-or-treaters on the steps of the old inn on Fairbank Street. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz) See next week's COLOR issue of the Press for lots more Oct. 31 photos.
Candy coordinator Trish Rouvel of the Harvard Police Department told the Press she had distributed 96 bags of candy to the estimated 36 homes that participated in this year’s event. She said a last-minute weekend appeal on Nextdoor and Facebook had filled the candy box at the Public Safety Building to overflowing Monday morning, ensuring there was plenty of candy to go around.
The Lions Club was back with hot dogs and popcorn on the Common. A member of the crew told the Press they had given away 850 dogs and buns during the evening. At the Congregational Church across the street, the popcorn machine never stopped. And at the General Store, a popular gathering spot, “traffic was bananas,” manager Liza Fischer reported. The store handed out 103 cups of chili to revelers before closing down after 7:30 p.m. for a staff party.
By then, the streets were empty. Porch lights went dark, the Lions folded up their tent, and police shut down the generators powering the floodlights at the intersection of Mass. Ave. and Still River Road.
As stragglers made their way home, they were rewarded by the sight of a rising harvest moon, pumpkin orange and streaked with low-lying clouds, as if ripped from a Halloween greeting card.
Watch for our COLOR photo coverage of the Oct. 31 festivities
in next week’s issue of the Press.
