Information has begun to leak out about Peabody’s annual Halloween celebration. Yes, it is only about three-and-a-half weeks away, and pumpkins, scarecrows, and spooky yard and porch decorations are appearing around town. Just to get you into the mood for the upcoming holiday I thought I would report on all the planned activities so that you can be ready for the big event.
Peabody Main Street Association will once again sponsor the downtown Trunk or Treat event in the 100 block of Walnut Street from 5 to 7 p.m. on Halloween night. Individuals or groups are invited to pull their vehicles into a downtown parking space (setup begins at 4 p.m.) and decorate the trunk or area around their vehicle in their favorite ghoulish Halloween display. PMSA sponsors will once again provide a $100 prize for the best display.
In addition this year, the Main Street group will award first, second, and third place prizes for the best three children’s costumes. The prizes all will be in the form of Peabody Bucks.
The American Legion Auxiliary will present a haunted house for children age 10 and younger. They also are inviting children or families to enter a pumpkin carving contest. Admission to the haunted house and the entry fee for the carving contest will be a can of food. All canned goods will be donated to the Peabody Food Bank.
Individual homes in Peabody offering treats to kids in costume will have porch lights on indicating their participation. Children younger than 18 will be required to be off the streets at 8 p.m.
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Another traditional fall event is the upcoming peppernut baking at Peabody Senior Center. This is the most profitable fundraiser the Peabody center has all year. The money raised funds most of the center’s expenses.
Starting Thursday, the group will be mixing dough, creating tiny peppernut cookies, sorting them on baking sheets, baking them to perfection, and cleaning up the equipment to do it all over again. The process takes about two dozen volunteers each day they do the baking.
They could use your help. You do not have to be a member of the senior center to help with the project. Someone said members of the high school football team showed up once or twice a number of years ago and spent a couple of hours lending a hand — or a couple of hands. I bet their efforts were greatly appreciated.
People often think the senior center is supported by government money, but that is not the case. Building maintenance, insurance, repairs, utilities, and other expenses are all the responsibility of the local group. In Peabody, many of these costs are covered by the annual sale of peppernuts.
If you have a couple of hours on a Monday or Thursday afternoon from now until the middle of November, the good folks at Peabody Senior Center could use your help. Give them a call at (620) 983-2226 and find out more about their project. Then sign up to help them out. It will make you feel good!
SUSAN MARSHALL