As Halloween weekend draws nearer, Halloween celebration plans in the various Valley towns are solidifying.
WAITSFIELD
The fun will start on Friday night, October 30, on Old County Road in Waitsfield, where community members are invited for drive viewing of a lit jack-o-lantern display after sunset. The Village Grocery is collecting carved pumpkins for the event. Those who want to showcase their pumpkin carving skills can drop off a pumpkin at the Village Grocery in Waitsfield Village. Volunteers are also needed to carve pumpkins.
Old County Road will also host nighttime trick or treating on Halloween night. From 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, Old County Road will be closed to vehicles for trick-or-treating. However, instead of traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, candy stations will be set up at intervals along the road. The jitney that would normally ferry people from the medical center and phone company parking lots will not be running so people will need to walk up the road. The jack-o-lantern display from Friday night will also be lit on Saturday night and people can drop off donations of candy at the Village Grocery.
Anyone who wants to volunteer to help and/or carve pumpkins can email Cheryl Kingsbury at
Visitors and residents will be expected to follow all Vermont health guidelines for social distancing and mask wearing.
WARREN
On Saturday, October 31, Halloween day, Warren will host a Halloween scavenger hunt and a haunted hike from 2 to 4 p.m. at and around Brooks Field. Both events require preregistration in order to book a specific time slot, using a link listed at the bottom of the article. Town officials ask that residents only sign up for one event.
The nearly mile-long Haunted Hike will take place on Eaton Interpretive Trail near Warren Elementary School. Kids are encouraged to wear costumes and walking-appropriate shoes. Those doing the haunted walk are allowed walk in small groups of three or four as long as those groups are made up of families and friends that have quarantined together and are not intermingling for the first time on the walk. Face masks and social distancing are required.
What kids might find in the haunted walk is a surprise; however, town treasurer Dayna Lisaius told The Valley Reporter that the hike will contain “scary sections.”
The Warren Scavenger Hunt is an alternative to the hike for families with children 5 and under, or for those who don’t want to complete the hike. There will be plenty of candy at both events.
MORETOWN
In Moretown, town officials are not opposed to community members hosting a Halloween celebration if someone wants to organize it. “I’m not opposed to activities going on or some kind of trick or treating,” said select board chair Tom Martin at a meeting on October 19. Last year, the town opened up the fire department for warm drinks and candy, but this year they won’t do the same due to safety concerns. As of now, no known celebration is planned.
Link to register for Warren Halloween events:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScV2B6s0K6n5Lokly5xpVMwHWCWESv9FJDtZjdVFiWDAZ4kGA/viewform
