By Paige Kirbach
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD – Liz Havens has spent every Halloween for the last 10 years at work.
The owner of Country Market sells close to 4,000 pumpkins every year, making Halloween a busy season.
“Everyone decides to carve pumpkins on Halloween, so we have to stay open,” Havens said.
Country Market, a grocery store on Wabash Avenue, focuses on buying local. As a result, Havens said she can sell the pumpkins cheaper than everywhere else.
Carving pumpkins is a classic tradition, but there are many Halloween traditions that keep people busy every year.
“Every year we have a huge cookout, and everyone has to dress up or they aren’t allowed in,” said Nancy Oliver, who has a student at Lincoln Land.
“My family and I go to a haunted house or hayrack ride every weekend in October,” Oliver said. “It’s rare if we miss a weekend. Halloween is big in our house. We have our decorations up October 1st, no matter what.”
Others get into crafting around the Halloween season.
“Every year we go to Hobby Lobby and stock up on everything,” said Rachel Cockerel of Pleasant Plains. “I use Pinterest to get ideas and make a huge shopping list. My kids are still young, so they have a lot of fun with it, too.”
Cockerel said they’re always looking for new ideas.
Halloween means one thing for kids: Trick-or-treating.
A child dresses up in a costume and goes from door to door saying trick or treat to receive candy. Originally, it meant the homeowner would either give a treat, or else, a trick would be played on them. But the trick is not as common today, so it’s said as just a tradition.
Alyia Oliver, Nancy Oliver’s youngest daughter, is 13 and reaching the end of her trick or treating years.
“I’m going to go out one more year and then call it quits,” said Alyia. “Me and my friends just aren’t ready to grow up yet.”
Typically, children stop trick or treating at about 13 or 14 years old, and homeowners have been known to turn away kids who they think are too old to be out trick or treating.
Paige Kirbach can be reached at [email protected].