A person in vehicle reaches out for goody bag ash Beth Sproul, director of the city’s child care center, gives her with a long handled grabber during Augusta Downtown Alliance’s drive-thru trick-or-treat event last year, on Oct. 31, 2020, in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal file

GARDINER — After a year during which even the most treasured holiday celebrations were curtailed over public health concerns, communities across central Maine are ready to embrace Halloween once again, along with a few pandemic precautions for safety.

Starting this weekend, the lineup of events planned across the region are welcoming back fun, family-friendly terror and a lot of candy.

On Sunday, the celebration kicks off in Gardiner with the second annual Drive Through Trunk or Treat. Organized by the Gardiner Area High School Interact Club, Jobs for Maine Graduates and the Gardiner Rotary Club, the event brings safe trick-or-treating to the parking lot of E.J. Prescott headquarters at 32 Prescott St. in the Libby Hill Business Park.

“The trick-or-treaters will stay in their vehicles,” Interact Club advisor Raye Anne DeSoto said. “We will have marked lanes and they will drive in at 5 mph. My trunkers will be set up spaced apart. The cars will stop at each trunker, and they will hand candy to the treaters in the car, and the treaters will move to the next trunker set up.”

DeSoto said earlier this week that 20 trunkers had signed up, but there was room for 35. And the trunkers are going all out with different themed designs. But no matter what they choose, she said they will be masked and taking precautions to stay safe and healthy.

She said the students in the Interact Club and JMG have been diligently searching for the best deals on candy to spend $500 donated by E.J. Prescott CEO Peter Prescott.

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She said last year’s event drew about 400 trick-or-treaters from across the region to take part; they’re expecting between 400 and 600 this year.

United Volunteers of Maine are holding their Haunted House from 7 p.m., to 9 p.m., this weekend, and from Wednesday through Sunday next week in conjunction with the Marketplace of Augusta, next to Regal Cinema at the Marketplace. Tickets are $13 per person, and proceeds benefit youth and nonprofit groups.

Trick-or-treaters visit the dazzling lights of 48 Burleigh St. in Waterville on Oct. 31, 2018, during the annual Halloween celebration. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel file

In Waterville, the Alfond Youth and Community Center will host a Trunk or Treat Open House for all ages at abilities Oct. 31 from 3 to 5 p.m. at 126 North St.

In the past, Burleigh Street in Waterville has been a popular trick-or-treating spot, with residents usually going so far as to request barricades from the city to block off the street. But last year, several residents chose not to participate and did not request the usual barricades to close the street, said Dana Sennett, who lives on Burleigh Street.

It’s the same situation this year, Sennett said, as not all the houses on the street will participate, and no one has called to request the barricades. He and his wife didn’t join the celebrations last year, and won’t this year either, Sennett said, because they are concerned about how many people come.

On Oct. 30, Skowhegan is hosting back-to-back trunk or treat events. The first, from 10 a.m. until noon, is hosted by the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce at 414 Madison Ave. It will be followed by another hosted by New Horizons Community Church, 31 East Madison Road from noon until 3 p.m.

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In Manchester, Hope Baptist Church, at 726 Western Ave., will host Trick or Treat off the Street from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 31, with candy, snacks and games.

In Hallowell, a trunk or treat sponsored by the Key Club is scheduled for 5 p.m. Oct. 30, at Hall-Dale Elementary School at 26 Garden Lane, with a Halloween parade to follow at 6 p.m., starting at the boat launch. Lineup for the parade begins at 5:30 p.m. Following the parade, a bonfire will light up on the bulkhead at 6:20 p.m. A pub crawl is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.

Later in the day, focus moves to downtown Augusta for the Trick or Treat on Water Street event, which runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Already, seasonal decorations, including some inspired by horror writer Stephen King, have been popping up throughout the neighborhood.

“We’re going the extra mile to make sure all our vendors have hand sanitizer and individually wrapped candy and don’t let the kids rifle through (the candy). Basically, we’re applying the same rules as we applied to the drive-thru last year.”

Water Street will be closed from Winthrop Street to the railroad trestle for the festivities, which includes live music from three bands performing Halloween covers, Merkaba Sol is hosting a Witch’s Dance, ticketed ghost tours of the Colonial Theatre, and the evening will capped by a fireworks display at 7:45 p.m., put on by the city of Augusta.

A box of Jason-style hockey masks Wednesday at the Olde Federal Building in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Right before the fireworks, though, organizers are taking a shot at establishing a Guinness World Record of amassing the largest number of people wearing Jason Voorhees masks. Voorhees is the hockey mask-wearing killer at the center of the “Friday the 13th” horror movie franchise.

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Michael Hall, Augusta Downtown Alliance executive director, poses with Jason-style hockey masks Wednesday at the Olde Federal Building in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Michael Hall, Augusta Downtown Alliance executive director, said the organization has amassed nearly 500 Jason masks to hand out, but people are welcome to wear their own when they gather in Market Square for a photo to be submitted to establish the record. The square is big enough to accommodate 500 people safely, but if more than show up, they’ll assemble on Front Street for the photo.

Across the region, the Winslow Community Cupboard is sponsoring a trunk or treat from 4 p.m., to 7 p.m. Oct. 30, at the Winslow Congregational Church at 12 Lithgow St.

On Halloween proper, Richmond is hosting a day-long event starting at noon with pumpkin carving, an obstacle course, games and food from Ye Olde Fish and Chips.

At 4:30 p.m., a children’s parade starts at the Isaac F. Umberhine Public Library at 164 Main St. and will proceed down Main Street to Waterfront Park.

Trunk or treat starts at 5 p.m., along with a haunted house at Roberts Hall on Spruce Street, and free french fries and fried dough, courtesy of Ye Olde Fish and Chips.

To make the magic happen, Front Street from Main Street to Baker Street will be closed to vehicular traffic starting at noon. Pleasant Street between Maine and Hagar streets will close at 4 p.m., and remain closed for the remainder of the Halloween events, and Main Street will be closed briefly for the children’s parade.

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Richmond Recreation Director Michelle Snowden said the events were chosen keeping safety in mind for participants. A year ago, the town focused on a house decorating contest, but this year, with precautions, in-person events are being held again.

In Unity on Oct. 31, Unity Barn Raisers at the Unity Community Center Sunday will host a Halloween Extravaganza from 3 p.m., to 4:30 p.m. The extravaganza includes a spooky story walk, arts and crafts, and trunk or treat.

Images from the horror movie “The Shining” are painted in the front window of Rare Bird Art Studio for Halloween decorations Wednesday on Water Street in downtown Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

In Norridgewock, the Life Church will hold its fourth annual Trunk or Treat from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m Oct. 31 at 344 Skowhegan Road, and it will include musical hay bales, a photo wall and hot chocolate.

In Winthrop, the Trunk or Treat Halloween Drive-Boo will is being held from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 31, in the Winthrop Grade School parking lot at 23 Highland Ave. The event is a collaboration of the Bailey Library, Winthrop Police, Winthrop Fire and Ambulance, Winthrop Plays Outside/YMCA and other organizations. Treats and maybe some tricks will be available on the route that starts at the grade school, past the football field and on Town Hall Lane.

China is hosting two separate trunk-or-treat events in China on Halloween night. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the China Primary School PTO is hosting its first-ever event at the China Primary School parking lot at 763 Lakeview Drive. The second is the traditional town event, held drive-thru style, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the China Town Office parking lot at 571 Lakeview Drive.

Morning Sentinel staff writer Kaitlyn Budion contributed reporting. 

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