Halloween 2026

This Halloween is the most fun one that I can remember (Bud maintains that two years ago is a contender, but regardless, this year was great). First of all, the holiday was on a Saturday. Why is it not always on a Saturday? The level of stress I usually feel trying to get the kids fed, changed, and out to trick-or-treat before dark (we have never succeeded until this year) is frustrating. But I digress. This year, we had plenty of time to prepare. We enjoyed the sunrise in the morning from our porch with a view of our carved pumpkins. We had a picnic lunch to minimize clean up. We ate a very early dinner of yogurt and fruit and were ready for Mom’s Halloween schedule. I had three goals for the day.

1. Take a good family photo (by 4:30)

2. Arrive to trick-or-treating before dark (by 5:00)

and 3. Be ready at Center School for the start of the Halloween parade (6:00).

I know nothing says Halloween fun like setting time-driven goals. Kidding. I know I need to be more relaxed about these things, and I have tried, but it’s a work in progress. Regardless, we made my goals, and I was relaxed and happy.

The kids were happy, too, and looked so cute in their costumes. We take these photos knowing they will furnish forty or more years of reminiscing over cups of coffee or wine or prune juice, long after our adorable babies are grown and flown. So the kids’ looking cute in their costumes, making these happy memories, it’s all very important to us.

Not only were the kids adorable, Bud and I joined in the fun. Bud was a very handsome knight, and I was a cozy panda (an excellent choice given its inherent warmth). Once we were ready, all the following ubiquitous Halloween traditions were achieved without a hitch. No ghosts, no goblins, no monsters could keep us from our fun. We drove the short mile to The Village of Mattapoisett, where all three kids boldly walked to each door with their prepared “trick or treats!” and “thank you!s” (even Jack!) It warmed Bud and my hearts every time we heard a little kid’s voice call, “Hi, River!” There is something both quaint and comforting about being part of such a small community. Bud had a sword fight with a ten year old boy, and then they had a short conversation about lightsabers. We chatted with the parents of a boy dressed as Steve Erkel, another dressed as an ice cream man (complete with an ice cream truck) whose brother was a friend of River’s. We waved to a family dressed as the characters of The Wizard of Oz, minus Glinda, a Santa family, and a group of Ghostbusting boys. There was laughter and a joyful buzz all through the streets.

The clock struck six as we trekked up to the school. The street was packed with families, and darkness had completely fallen. Police officers were handing out glow sticks, and Church Street was blocked by police cars. At a police officer’s words, we began the slow walk to Shipyard Park with the happy, costumed throng, including a giant baby, a jellyfish, a munchkin box, and a Rubik's cube. We stopped for candy along the way. We made it to Shipyard Park for the start of the 1st grade division of the costume contest, which consisted of an announcer asking each grade of kids to come walk in a circle in front of the gazebo. It was very crowded, dark, and we were getting cold and tired.

We arrived home where the kids chatted about their favorite costumes, but mostly their favorite candies. River was most excited about the bag of Pirate’s Booty he had scored. We washed up, brushed teeth, read one Halloween book (Jack’s current favorite- Paw Patrol’s Puptastic Halloween) and had the kids tucked into their beds by 8:30, leaving Bud and I a little bit of time to unwind (and eat some of their candy).

Aside from a lost Glinda wand, it was the perfect Halloween.