Halloween on Main Street in Newtown is an annual event that continues to grow with each passing year. A veritable smorgasbord of quick, easy candy for young Trick Or Treaters, it is a draw for out-of-towners and even an occasional out-of-stater. Estimates say each household along Main Street sees several thousand trick or treaters each Halloween. Not several hundred, several thousand. "Halloween on Main Street" is not a Town event, nor even a formal organized event. It began small, decades ago, and has grown in reputation and presentation.

The event is a chance to trick or treat with friends and neighbors along historic Main Street in Newtown and take part in games and activities presented by local businesses. Many homeowners over the years have also turned their front yards and/or porches into extravagant displays with creativity that would make even Hollywood's best designers jealous. Last year alone, separate impressive displays celebrated the movies Jurassic Park and Beetlejuice. The front yard of Thankeful House at 6 Main Street transformed into an alien invasion, The Scudder-Smith House at 17 Main was home to The Pirates of Main Street for the evening, and countless other properties were transformed into temporary boneyards hosting skeletons, coffins and even a larger-than-life rooster. Trick or treating goes on rain or shine unless weather conditions are dangerous.

Our local grocery stores have 200 piece candy bags available for $30 to $35; that means 2,000 trick or treaters, at a conservative estimate, could mean a $300 to $350 bill just for keeping your outside light on during Halloween night. Those interested in helping those beleaguered homeowners to provide a memorable night of fun to all the trick or treaters can donate bags of candy to Newtown Parks & Recreation, 8 Simpson Street; Trinity Episcopal Church, 36 Main Street; and The Matthew Curtiss House at 44 Main Street. Donations will be distributed among Main Street residents ahead of the first arriving Trick-or-Treaters.

For those planning to attend, keep in mind all that Halloween fun takes place among private homes and properties. Please watch your kids, watch yourselves, and don’t leave a mess for the homeowners to clean up. Be responsible as you partake in this massive event.

Don’t forget Newtown’s other spooky events, including annual Sandy Hook Halloween Walk from 11 am to 2 pm Saturday, October 25, hosted by Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity (SHOP); the annual Halloween Parade hosted by Newtown Community Center, in conjunction with Newtown Senior Center, 11 am to 1 pm on Friday, October 31; and The Great Pumpkin Challenge, which invites readers to carve a pumpkin and drop that, along with a $5 donation, at Trinity Church, ahead of October 31. All pumpkins will be displayed on Halloween and all donations will go to The Hole in The Wall Gang Camp. Details for additional local events can be found in related stories, press releases and our calendars. Enjoy the season, however you plan to celebrate, and stay safe!