HELENA — Halloween may be a day away, but families across Helena are already getting into the spirit with costumes, candy and several family-friendly events around town.
Watch the story here:
One of Friday’s first stops was Edgewood Assisted Living, where children dressed in their Halloween costumes stopped by to trick-or-treat with residents.
For resident Dee Sheek, who has lived at Edgewood for five years, seeing young children come through brought back memories of celebrating Halloween with her own family.
“Oh, it’s wonderful, good fun, and brings people together,” Sheek said. “My daughter’s 55. I remember when she was little. I miss that very much.”
The event is about more than simply handing out candy. Carmen Lay, Edgewood’s wellness and enrichment director, said bringing children into the facility creates interactions that residents in assisted living and memory care may not otherwise have very often.
“We love the intergenerational,” Lay said. “Our assisted living and memory care residents love having the younger kids come and being able to connect with them.”
“Keep in mind, our residents, they don’t get to have that connection often,” she added. “And we love opportunities where we can invite that younger generation to come and interact with our residents.”
The Halloween festivities continued Friday evening at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds with the 10th annual Candy Jam.
Hosted by Capstone Church, the free event offered games, bounce houses and plenty of candy. Organizers spent about two months preparing for an expected crowd of around 3,000 people, including stocking up on roughly 800 pounds of candy.
“The shopping is always fun when we’re walking through Costco with some of the biggest purchases they’ve ever seen,” Capstone Church Pastor Caleb Groteluschen said. “Literally flatbeds full of candy.”
Groteluschen said the goal is to provide another place for Helena families to celebrate Halloween together.
“We just want a warm, safe place that comes right along with what our community is already doing for Halloween,” he said.
And there was no shortage of creative costumes across Friday’s events.
At Edgewood, Tysayn Veilleux showed up dressed as a banana, while Dylan Trevor and his son wore matching Spider-Man costumes.
Candy Jam brought even more characters, including 8-year-old Lyla Groteluschen dressed as a princess from “Wicked,” 9-year-old Grayson Groteluschen as the Mandalorian and 7-year-old Fitz Powell dressed as a police officer.
For Powell, however, the costume wasn’t necessarily the most important part of the night.
“I hope to get a lot of candy,” he said.
Halloween fun continues Saturday
Families will have another opportunity to fill their treat bags Saturday during Little Tykes Trick or Treat in downtown Helena.
The event runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, throughout the Walking Mall and Great Northern Town Center.
Participating downtown businesses will hand out treats, and families can use a map of participating locations to plan their route. Organizers say trick-or-treaters should look for a ghost displayed in the windows of participating businesses.
Businesses are also getting into the Halloween spirit with a group costume contest. Families can use a QR code on the event map to vote for their favorite participating business costume.
With trick-or-treating continuing into the evening around Helena, families are encouraged to stay visible after dark, while drivers should keep an eye out for trick-or-treaters.
Whether it’s the costumes, the candy or simply a chance to celebrate together, Helena families have plenty of ways to get into the Halloween spirit.
