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Kurt Johnson
It was a good time to be a kid with a sweet-tooth in Hamilton County this week.
Halloween has come and gone for another year by the time this edition hits the press, but from my side of the mask it was a banner year for candy and creativity. There was a whole lot of spook-tacular opportunity to have some fun, feed your sugar fix and go crazy with costumes that could get worn out by the time Nov. 1 rolled around.
My mom always made sure I was wearing something colorful and fun, as I recall. In later years, middle school if memory serves, I actually won the prize for best dressed boy and best dressed girl after doing my best female impression. That’s not my most prized trophy, in fact it’s a little embarrassing now, but makes for a good story even 50 years later.
I found myself feeling reeaaaallly old watching all the goings-on this particular year. When I was a kid about the right age to really get into all things Halloween, I seem to recall a one-night gig lasting two hours at the most, walking the familiar streets of my hometown hoping and expecting to fill by bag with a month’s worthy of chocolate lute. The highlight was always a stop at Mrs. Brill’s house down the street, where every kid in the neighborhood knew you could end the night with a cup of hot chocolate or a popcorn ball.
Today’s youth and their families, at least here in Hamilton County, had to mark their calendar to make sure they made the most of Halloween 2022. It’s a much bigger deal all around.
First up was Scare the Square in Aurora, which had the misfortune of going up against a much-needed splash of rain at 5 p.m. on Thursday. That event has grown so big and popular it demands an outdoor venue, so my only thought as I took pictures indoors at the fairgrounds was hoping that someone dressed up and acting like a fire marshal wouldn’t show up and spoil the show. Nobody would dare complain about the rain, but the timing could not have been worse.
That same venue was hopping again over the weekend during a three-day Haunted Fairgrounds celebration. I didn’t make it to that amped up Halloween invite, but heard reports that it was as much fun as advertised, for kids of all ages.
Next up kids were invited to mix a little science into their candy cane diet, learning hands-on lessons while giving their costumes another go at Sunday’s Edgerton Spooktacular. There were several small-town trunk or treat opportunities as well as the original Halloween night out on Monday, by which time candy shelves all over town had to be empty.
By the time the candy stockpiles are gone and the massive sugar rush wears off, it will be time for some turkey, and a nap.
KURT JOHNSON can be reached at kjohnson@ hamilton.net
