Halloween Prepares To Haunt Main Street

By Kendra Bobowick

Bringing life to the ghosts and lost souls settling on the front stoop, October 31 is the Halloween spirit that enlivens Main Street in Newtown.

“It’s not an official event, but it took on a life of its own,” Town Clerk Debbie Aurelia said. Unofficially, the clusters of costumed faces turn to crowds that swell from one house to another up and down the street between roughly 4 and 9 pm.

Next Wednesday as dusk smoothes the late day shadows, trick-or-treating will begin along the Main Street corridor with a bulk of activity landing along the stretch of homes and store fronts between Currituck Road and Town Hall South across from Glover Avenue.

Readying for the surge of goblins and witches are several town officials and local businessmen and women preparing tricks and surprises of their own as Halloween nears. The Tooth Fairy, who claims to be unable to fly until the clock ticks past midnight, is accumulating both her fairy dust and a collection of tooth brushes to scrub away the last licks of hard candy and caramel filling once the stash of Halloween treats dwindles.

Local orthodontist Dr Joshua Baum’s Office Manager Kym Stendahl will swap her business attire for her fairy costume in the late afternoon next Wednesday and set up a table in front of the town hall for the sixth year in a row to intercept the trick-or-treaters. Looking for the Tooth Fairy? “You’re speaking to her,” she said.

Standing beneath her tent filled with stars, she said, “It will be pretty for the kids.” What is the magic ingredient in her fairy dust? “It’s fairy dust!” she said. The children’s romp along Main Street each year may be an unofficial event, but it is a “little tradition, yes,” she said.

The Dental Associates’ Tooth Fairy and Dr Smile E. Fox will join in the Main Street festivities as well, giving out goodie bags that include a toothbrush.

As revelers step into the town hall, the municipal offices will offer a surprise.

Ms Aurelia and Assistant Town Clerks Monica Duhancik, Ann Benore, and Renee Weimann will be dressed in theme. “The key word is swarm,” Ms Aurelia hinted. For the first time, her staff is officially joining the Halloween crowd that fills the center of town each year. The women have also recruited members from other municipal offices to join the fun.

Main Street will not be closed to traffic for the several hours of fun, but Newtown Police Captain Joe Rios confirmed that residents will see a police presence.