Droves of Trick-or-Treaters Haunt the Streets of Easton

By Christina Georgiou

A small group of trick-or-treaters cross Ferry Street in Easton's
West Ward on Halloween night in search of sweets.

Last year, Superstorm Sandy nearly canceled Halloween entirely. The year before, a freak ice storm put a serious damper on the holiday.

So perhaps it's no wonder that Easton kids seemed more eager than usual this year to don their costumes and hit the streets at the first opportunity to go trick-or-treating and claim a generous share of candy.

Hordes of children and their parents were seen parading the sidewalks seconds after the official trick-or-treat time began at 6 p.m., often in groups of a dozen or two at a clip, with the traditional cry of "trick or treat!" on their lips as they stopped at the numerous houses where people with buckets of candy doled out treats. Polite choruses of "thank you!" followed in nearly every case.

Children collect candy from a house along Ferry Street
Thursday evening.
Click on any photo for a full size view.

In many cases, those buckets and bowls were emptied long before the designated trick-or-treat time--8 p.m.--had come even close to expiring.

Along the 900 block of Ferry Street, most were candy-less by 6:30 p.m. or shortly thereafter.

"We bought $50 worth of candy. I can't believe I'm out," said one father whose children were out trick-or-treating with his wife. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do. Maybe go in the house, turn off the lights and hide."

Two doors down, one woman mused that she might start giving out quarters as her supply of sweets dwindled.

A block up the street, the supply lasted a little longer, but not much.

The Easton Weed and Seed "Light the Night" event in
Centennial Park drew hundreds of trick-or-treaters
last night for Halloween.

"I've never seen this many trick-or-treaters," said one woman, as she handed out candy. "I don't think my supply is going to hold out."

But the costumed crowd seemed undaunted by the houses that ran out of candy before their arrival, and shrugging, they moved on in search of more sweets.

Hundreds of trick-or-treaters in the West Ward converged on Easton Weed and Seed's "Light the Night" event at Centennial Park, at South 12th and Ferry streets. The event's popularity and location may account too for why so many houses along the Ferry Street route were host to the inordinate number of trick-or-treaters.

Lit by strings of light bulbs, "Light the Night" attendees enjoyed hundreds of hot dogs provided by business owner Nick Alfero and hot chocolate and cookies served up by Rose of Sharon Church.

A Lafayette College sorority member hands out candy
at the Easton Weed and Seed "Light the Night" event
held at Centennial Park on Halloween Thursday evening.

Greek organizations from Lafayette College, along with Easton police and fire department members, handed out small mountains of candy to trick-or-treaters, joined by a number of local community groups, including the Easton Area Community Center, the Crime Victims Council, Legacy Ministries, and a number of individuals who donated their time--and more candy--to the event.

But even well-stocked, some at the event ran out of sweets.

"We spent $500 on candy," one Lafayette College sorority member was overheard saying a little after 7 p.m. "I can't believe it's all gone."

Another Lafayette group, undeterred, passed out Pop-Tarts in place of candy when their supply ran out.

Members of the Easton Police Department hand out
candy bars to trick-or-treaters during Easton Weed
and Seed's "Light the Night" event Thursday night
at Centennial Park.

But the crowds of costumed children didn't seem at all unhappy. All the sweets had, after all, been transferred into their well-stuffed trick-or-treat bags.

 

Zombies were very popular this year.