Halloween Town in Rye has a reputation of being one of the most fun events offered in the Valley, and the 2024 version carried on that reputation. The popular twist on the traditional door-to-door trick or treating, which doesn't involve wandering through neighborhoods after dark, offers fun for all ages.
Main Street closed at 4:30 p.m. and participants for the trunk or treat rapidly lined Rye’s Main Street from the Rye Home Methodist Church all the way up to the curve at Columbine Street.
Residents gathered in their decorated vehicles, or set up tables decorated in scary, silly, or sweet Halloween themes. Costumed kids and adults went from car to car, as well as to the Main Street businesses and to many of the Main Street homeowners, for treats, games, and other Halloween fun. Whole families were able to be involved as participants cheerfully distributed treats to kids of all ages. Rye’s 13th Annual Halloween Town was underway with what looked like the entire valley celebrating Halloween at the annual trunk or treat event.
A popular event added this year was the costume and pumpkin carving contest sponsored by the new Purple People Leaders group. The costume contest had categories for creative, funny, scary, original, and pets (costume). Groups were divided into age brackets of 0-5, 6-11, 12-14, 15-18, and adults. It was held at at 6:30 p.m. near Mama Bear’s Day Care. Volunteers for the contest were Rose Lewis and Tami Johnson, and judges Tricia Mansfield-Proctor and Lisa Klipfel.
The creatively decorated pumpkins were dropped off for display between 5:30. and 6:30 p.m.
The Greenhorn Library wished everyone a Happy Halloween in a special way this year. With help from David R. Slayton and everyone from his Book or Treat party, the library was able to distribute over 330 books to kids at the event.
It was family fun galore with games, spooky-themed drinks, tons of candy, decorated homes, cotton candy, and free hot chocolate and Halloween cookies. Estimates on the number of children attending Halloween Town range between 300 to 400 hundred, based on the amounts of candy given out by enthusiastic participants.