Newburyport is magical in October and November.
The air is chilly and crisp. Leaves crunch against the brick sidewalks as you walk through the city streets. Hay bales and scarecrows dress State Street. Crowds of people with hot beverages in hand pop into shops and restaurants.
Halloween is our favorite family holiday, mostly because of where we live.
We trick-or-treated in Newburyport’s South End long before we lived here — even at the very house we live in now. With houses so close together, Newburyport is the perfect place to trick-or-teat for kids of all ages. Little ones don’t have to walk far to fill up a bag of treats, not to mention it’s safe and beautiful.
My daughters have learned over the years which houses are too scary and which houses give out extra special things. For example on Federal Street, there’s a woman who gives out balloons on Halloween night. As far as my girls are concerned, the house with the “Balloon Lady” is a permanent stop on their Halloween route.
What makes that balloon even more special is that you can’t eat it. My girls, like many others, have food allergies.
They can not touch, let alone eat, 99% of the candy they collect on Halloween because it could make them very sick or cause anaphylaxis. My 10 year old daughter has Celiac disease and a dairy sensitivity and my 7 year old daughter has a severe peanut allergy and a gluten intolerance. Between their different food allergies, we’ve never been able to let them eat candy from their Halloween treat bag.
You would think Halloween wouldn’t be much fun for a family with food allergies. I’m not going to sugar coat it, things were tough the first few years. But we’ve created our own traditions for Halloween to make it safe and extra special for our girls.
I decorate the house almost as much as I do for Christmas.
Our family takes a trip up to the White Mountains for some leaf peeping. We carve pumpkins, then bake pumpkin seeds and make muffins. On Halloween night, friends and neighbors come over to share a big pot of chili while the kids trick-or-treat and play in the yard together. It’s a simple celebration that makes my daughters feel comfortable on a holiday that could be quite scary for them.
I’ve heard that people use the “Switch Witch” to trade collected Halloween candy for something else. Witches have always been a little too scary for my girls. Instead, I just trade them a party bag for their Halloween candy. This year, I’m filling the bag with allergy friendly candy, Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, and some of the non-food items we give out.
Kids collect SO much candy on Halloween. Have you ever thought about giving out something different? We participate in the Teal Pumpkin project, which raises awareness for food allergies by encouraging people to give out non-food treats so that trick-or-treaters who need to avoid candy (due to food allergies or other reasons) can fully participate. There are tons of fun alternatives to candy like glow sticks, coins (mostly pennies), small water bottles, witch fingers, pencils, and erasers. Join me in providing a safer, happier Halloween for allergy kids by placing a teal pumpkin in front of your home and giving out non-food treats.
There will be plenty of candy handed out on Halloween even if some of us decide to give out something different. What do we do with all that extra candy? And what should you do with yours if you’re not going to eat it? We drop off our Halloween candy to Newburyport Dental Associates for their Annual Candy Exchange. The Dentist gives the candy to local charities, and gives kids a prize for trading their candy. Drop off your extra Halloween candy at the office through November 7th.
Get out there and enjoy the magical month of October! This weekend is the Newburyport Fall Harvest Festival, which kicks off the 14th Annual Scarecrow Contest. Anyone can enter! Witches’ Night Out is Friday, October 16th, with the Great Pumpkin Lighting and Stroll on Saturday, October 17th. Theater in the Open’s notorious annual haunting of Maudslay will be October 17 and 18. Downtown and Tannery Trick-or-Treat is Friday, October 30th.
And don’t forget to trick-or-treat on Halloween night. It’s the only day of the year that you can knock on someone’s door and get something for free. Have a great, safe Halloween in Newburyport!