Halloween in a small town has its perks. For one, you get a lot more candy than you would get in a big city. I remember since I was a young age I was always bragging to my cousins about how much candy I got — a flex for sure. Another perk is all the fun little Halloween traditions that are unique to small towns.
This year Halloween was particularly special and fun because I was finally able to be here for it! In past years it had been over State Volleyball, which really sucked. So I was not able to be at home for all of the fun activities that went on. I was lucky enough to be able to put on some Halloween fun for everyone this year.
Fun School Activities
We were able to have a Halloween carnival for the community that the high school put on as a fundraiser. We had a very good turnout and a lot of fun events. The elementary school also had a carnival for their Halloween party.
In the past we have also gone up into the mountains or out in the desert to watch scary movies. All of the high school students are invited, and lets just say that makes for one spooky evening. During the school day the high school students had lots of fun watching a scary movie in the auditorium. The commentary most definitely helped make it 10 times more enjoyable as well!
The drama class also likes to put on a spook alley through the auditorium, where they create scary props and purchase terrifying costumes. I was not able to attend this year, but I heard a lot of positive feedback. It is very fun to attend and definitely gets the adrenaline pumping.
One of my favorite parts of Halloween is all of the costumes. Everyone gets dressed up and it is a party! I can’t really pick a favorite, but I did see many different costumes. We had a couple different pairs of twins, Charlie Brown, Perry the Platypus and even a Rubix Cube!
Halloween Trick-or-Treating in a Small Town
During the evening it was a little different this year, since it was a Monday, which was very weird, if I do say so myself. Everyone was out trick-or-treating relatively early.
Another little tradition is family friends inviting a lot of different people in town to come over and eat soup and donuts. It gives you a chance to go get a little bit warm before heading out into the cold to trick-or-treat.
The Phillips Pumpkin Patch
We also have the annual pumpkin patch, which the Phillips put on … by far my favorite thing about Halloween in a small town. The whole community is invited to carve pumpkins, drop them off to get judged, and then come back later that night. They hand out epic prizes and bags to all of the kids, not to mention hot cocoa and hot chocolate. It is the perfect opportunity to inspect the artistic pumpkin carving talent of all your community members and socialize.
Halloween in a small town is definitely one of the best things ever. I love how so many community members are invested into making it a fun and festive month for everyone around them!
– by McKynlee Cottam (17) Escalante
Feature image caption: The Escalante student council had fun dressing up for the small school Halloween party.
McKynlee Cottam – Escalante
McKynlee Cottam is a junior writer, and sometimes editor, at The Byway. She is a senior at Escalante High School. This year she’s had the opportunity to be the school’s Student Body President and Miss Garfield’s Outstanding Teen. McKynlee loves to write about things that are going on in our county and world, as well as some fun out-of-hat pieces. She enjoys playing the violin, participating in basketball, and of course hanging out with her friends. The Byway has been a fun part of her life, and she hopes to keep contributing to it for some time!