Scholars can argue all they want about the origins of Halloween and its customs, but the fact is that it has evolved into one of the most lucrative of holidays in the United States.
It is also perhaps the most fun. You don’t have to entertain relatives or buy expensive presents or attend forced work-related “parties” like at Christmas and Hannukah. There are no romantic expectations like on Valentine’s Day, or awkward New Year’s Eve moments. Halloween is about dressing up as someone or something you are not (and dressing your pets up as well), eating candy, getting the stuffing scared out of you, and generally acting like a big kid if you’re an adult.
As a matter of fact, until recently, Halloween was a grown-up affair, with costume-cocktail parties. It wasn’t until the 1940s that children’s activities and trick-or-treating became widespread and children got involved. Lately, it seems that Halloween has become a family affair of the best kind. Families plan their costumes — check out the Irvington Halloween Festival parade on Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. to see entire families (including the dogs) dressed as characters from the Wizard of Oz, zombies, Doctor Who, or ghosts. It’s a time when kids and adults agree to have fun together.
The latest numbers are out, and it looks like grown-ups will spend about $1.38 billion on costumes and accessories for Halloween. That’s just for the adults; people will be spending another $1 billion on the kids costumes this year. For retailers, Halloween is a bonanza, with about $5 billion spent on candy, decorations, costumes, and accessories.
photo by Paula Nicewanger/ Weekly View
Kendra Obermaier is this year’s Irvington Halloween Festival Queen.
The Irvington Halloween Festival is the largest Halloween festival in Indianapolis, hands down. Thousands of people come to the historic area, going on ghost tours and participating in window painting, pumpkin carving, and the like. The Irvington Halloween Festival pageant winner, Kendra Obermaier, who was crowned Miss Irvington 2014 on Oct. 18. The Silent Auction on October 20 was a huge success, with the original paintings for the poster contest auctioned off to support Irvington programs. The whole week will be capped off with the annual Pleasant Run Run, followed by the Street Festival on Oct. 25 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. along East Washington St. from Ritter to Audubon. Parking and shuttle service is available at the Irvington Plaza, which is your best bet for a fun-filled afternoon without cruising around looking for an empty parking space. (Look for me in a “Game of Thrones” inspired outfit with my “direwolf” Lucy in the crowd.)
On Halloween itself, Oct. 31, the official trick-or-treat hours are 6-8 p.m. in Indianapolis, 5-9 p.m. in New Palestine, 6-9 p.m. in Beech Grove, 5-9 p.m. 5-8 p.m. in Greenfield, 6-8 p.m. in Lawrence, and 5:00-8:30 p.m. in Southport. Children should always be accompanied by an adult, and motorists are urged to keep a close eye out for little ones darting into the street.
Also on Halloween, Sammy Terry will in Greenfield at the H.J. Ricks Centre for the Arts for a screening of The House on Haunted Hill at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $9 in advance (available at the Hancock Co. Historical Society, Hometown Comics, and the Centre) or $10 at the door. Proceeds will go to benefit the roof repair and building fund for the Hancock County Performing Arts Endowment Fund. The Centre is located at 122 W. Main St. Sammy will be available for pictures and autographs and have some of his merchandise for sale.
In Beech Grove, the Parks Department will have a Halloween Party and Costume Contest with Amazon John and his friends from 5:30-7:00 p.m. at the Geshwiler Senior Center. All are invited to come out and have a good time.
