H handed out candy to little ones here while I helped at our GDs’ house. Got lots of hugs from the GDs, especially the older one, for making their costumes. They didn’t get to stay out very long before the sky opened up, but they had fun anyway. I loved getting to see them and the little ones in their neighborhood plus a few cute teens who seemed a little sheepish but really liked the candy.
Once the rain slowed to a drizzle we started getting teens, who were very happy to get multiple full size candy bars. I was afraid we’d have a lot leftover due to the weather and was happy to see them having fun. Then several cars came from outside of our small neighborhood. There were a few kids, but mostly adults who looked to be >30. When I offered one full size candy bar a piece, a couple of them reached into the bucket to grab another. Only the kids said thank you. After that, H pulled the plug on the decorations and turned off the lights.
Well, we closed down our beloved venue. The regulars tearfully agreed where to meet starting next week, but not the same.
In any case, this is probably (?) the first time in my life that Halloween has passed without a candy bar or anything chocolate in sight. I may be checking out the local grocery store tomorrow to see what’s suddenly on clearance…
It looks like the tally of the street a few houses away was over 2000 kids, lines at homes was 20 deep. Township Facebook pages are showing a lot of residents annoyed that many TOT’s gather on one street, thanks to social media it has grown tremendously over the years. I ate too much candy!
We had rain that turned to snow. Only a few inches of snow, but it was really wet and heavy and took down some wires. So our neighborhood’s power was out, and Trick-or-Treating was by candle light.
The Costco (I’d guess Sams is similar) big 5 pound bags of chocolate mix or a skittle/sour patch/twizzler mix was $20. I would guess $150-200 would cover 2000 kids.
It’s a catch 22. It’s not fair to the homeowners to have to support that many kids. But OTOH, it’s hard being the parents and all your kids’ friends are going to the cool street and you miss out. When mine were little and we lived in a different neighborhood with elderly people… I refused to go to the cool neighborhood. But after walking miles for a few random houses, we gave up and went to the cool neighborhood. And then we moved there the next year! One cool to us story. That year we first went TOT there, we took the kids’ pic in front of an old wall… Little did we know 6 months later we’d move next door.
My co-worker fussed at me this morning at being shut down. I told him to be there before 7, otherwise we would likely be out of candy. When did he come? After 7. He said “You’re the only one who shut down.” Uh no… Most of my immediate neighbors don’t do it at all anymore. Another reason we don’t get the thousands we used to… But another portion of the street 1-1.5 mile down the road have really stepped it up. When we went out to eat, we noticed those lines were down from the house to the sidewalk like ours used to be.
But it’s comments like my co-worker and that woman last night that make me not to want to participate anymore either… He has always lived in the county and NEVER has had to give out candy. I invited him one year to buy it and sit on my porch. Nope. (obviously, I’m still a little steamed from last night, lol. I’ll get over it)
It is costly, but they usually hand out one piece to each child. Someone posted pictures of cases of water, individual bags of chips/crackers. One year some people (who don’t live on the actual street) came up with the idea to take donations for those who live there, started a big Facebook argument, idea was quickly shut down. I went through 14 pounds, but had bowls out (had my neighbor’s candy too), front door open to keep and eye on things, hung out across the street for a bit.
I love Halloween but don’t know that I’m willing to invest $200 to purchase candy! (Costco bags of 150/pieces x 13 bags x $15 (may actually be a little more now??)
Halloween was a success! We do small bars but let kids pick 3 each. We had 56 trick or treaters - the most we’ve had in years. Best costumes - Anger and Ennui from Inside Out 2.
It was in the 70s (crazy!), so lots of people sitting on their porches. I couldn’t help myself, I’m the sentimental sort, I got a little sad thinking about my own kids trick or treating. I do miss it.
We live on the border of the cool neighborhood now so had quite a few trick or treaters. I actually ran out of candy this year after 2 hours. The young children were unfailingly polite, with many, many thank yous. We have quite a large refugee and Hispanic population and they were by far the most enthusiastic.
I visited a friend who lives near the northern end of Brooklyn. She has no kids and lives in a coop apartment carved out of a big house. She has a porch facing the street from which she gives out candy. She said she had fewer ToTers than last year but she lives a few blocks from the area where 10 families decorate their houses to be haunted. On a warm evening like yesterday, there must have been a zillion kids and caretakers out there.
Running errands yesterday afternoon, I saw many many kids ToTing with their parents/other adults. I got a ride to my friend’s house but on the way home on bus and subway, I saw many teens and young adults in all manner of costumes–certainly many sexy witches plus other imaginative dress-up. I was wearing my mask from Target. Photo from another day.
