HOULTON, Maine — In one of the town’s biggest Halloween weekend celebrations, Houlton’s historic downtown will be awash in amber from the glow of hundreds of donated carved pumpkins.
For the first time, the Aroostook County town will host a Jack-O-Lantern Trail event similar to those in larger U.S. cities where people come from miles away to walk the lighted trails.
“When I moved back to Houlton I missed the Jack-O-Lantern trails that are in a lot of cities,” said Danielle Lane, who is the manager of KeyBank. “I thought it would be cool and hoped it could grow each year.”
Lane said while she was in New York, she went to the famed Westchester trail of thousands of hand carved jack-o-lanterns, complete with soundtracks and special effects.
When Lane pitched her idea of hosting a Jack-O-Lantern Trail to encourage tourism and visitation, Johanna Johnston of the Southern Aroostook Development Corporation immediately offered her full support.
“We quickly started brainstorming how this could become an economic development opportunity for local businesses, which led to the creation of the Aglow On The Go shopping component,” Johnston, the company’s executive director said.
Ringed by the Jack-O-Lantern Trail, downtown Houlton will feature parties, corn mazes, candy, free movies, costume contests with cash prizes, trunk or treating and costume parades. Carved pumpkins in business windows will light a downtown path from Serendipitous Dragonfly to the edge of the Riverfront Trail.
The Oct. 26 multi-event All Shires Eve — spurred by the Community Impact Alliance, a grassroots group of local business owners and leaders who want to support community events — has turned into a haunted Halloween bash with activities provided by many area businesses and community members.
“This collaboration was born from a desire to engage the community beyond the annual trick-or-treating events and to stimulate commerce,” said Johnston, adding that the business and community participation has been wonderful.
More than 200 pumpkins have been donated by local farms and businesses for the trail and members of the community are also invited to participate by carving and donating pumpkins to be placed along the trail, Lane said.
Carved pumpkins for the trail can be dropped off from 2 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 in Houlton. Contact Lane at danielle_lane@keybank.com for drop-off details. She said there are some carved pumpkins coming from Woodland and Caribou, and she may be able to assist people in The County who can’t drop off in Houlton.
At 5 p.m. Wed. Oct. 23, Key Bank and the Carleton Project will host a free pumpkin carving pizza party to get the hundreds of pumpkins carved for the Jack-O-Lantern Trail that runs from Friday, Oct. 25 through Sunday Oct. 27.
People who want to participate in the Aglow in the Go Passport can purchase tickets, two for $1, to win a large basket of prizes like lottery scratch tickets, movie passes and gift cards, said Lilly Haggerty, executive director of the Carleton Project.
“There are all kinds of prizes,” she said.
For every five passport stamps from local businesses, there is one drawing entry. The tickets are at several local businesses, including Carleton Project, On The Rack, Serendipitous Dragonfly, The Tulgeywood Emporium and Betty Marie’s Sweet Shop.
The Temple Theater is hosting a costume contest on Oct. 26 as part of the All Shires Eve festivities and will be giving away a $100 cash prize to six winners in categories such as most original costume, best group costume and best movie-themed costume.
From 2 to 5 p.m. on Market Square there will be a trunk or treat, a mini haunted house and corn maze. At 5:15 p.m. there will be a Witches, Warlocks & Goblins Walk starting at Riverside Park walking trail, and a Boos and Brews Party at Bastions Tavern starting at 7 p.m.
