by Claire Sinclair
South Orange and Maplewood are sticking to the calendar this year and hosting their respective Halloween celebrations on the actual day of Halloween — October 31.
Parents may not be excited by the fact that October 31 falls this year on a Monday (have fun getting those sugared-up kiddies to bed!), but, hey, it’s just one day out of the year.
The Maplewood Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the Maplewood Halloween Costume Contest in Maplewood Village from 3-5 p.m. If you’re new to town, get ready for big crowds. This event fills the streets of Maplewood Village like no other. The schedule is as follows:
- 3-4:30 p.m. — Trick-or-treating at stores
- 3:30-4:30 p.m. — Judging of costumes
- 4:35 p.m. — Awarding of prizes
- 5:00 p.m. — Wrap up
The South Orange Halloween Festival will take place in “Spooky” Spiotta Park beginning at 4 p.m. Wanda the Giant Witch will entertain kids with music, jokes and games, followed by a costume contest at 5 p.m. with gifts for all and prizes in several categories. The evening wraps up with trick-or-treating at South Orange Village Center shops. Visit sovillagecenter.org for updates and details.
