Gouls at the TRUNK & TREAT

My tiny village decided to have a Trunk or Treat for Halloween night at the local school to help all the kids that live way out in the rural areas with no neighbors to visit during this big candy event. The weather was also predicted to be cold and rainy so it would be nice for children not be a traffic hazard on dark slick roads as well.

The idea was to have people decorate their vehicles and have kids come and experience some unusual Trunk exhibits, meet their friends and neighbors plus enjoy candy, all in a safe environment.

Since I had never experienced anything like this, I immediately volunteered to help our local librarian set up in the school parking lot.

We arrived at 4 pm with the starting drizzle of cold rain.

Some trunks were already decorated and ready for the 5 pm start.

Under the awning of the main entrance of the school there was a silent auction, hot dogs on the grill and other exhibits going on.  The entire playground had been decorated as a cemetery and ghost house.

This grim reaper was waiting to be turned loose.

His brothers were just as eager.

Our Trunk was all set up as the rain started coming down alittle bit more.
I discovered that Clifford the Dog was not a retriever, (not waterproof....)

I lit the candle inside the pumpkin, filled the black pot with candy...and then I....

arranged this mooovelous blue eyed bovine behind the wheel of the car.

This tall cowboy showed up to make sure I wasn't rustlin cattle.

Lots of vehicles came to decorate their trunks and all the driver were also dressed up. Something I really wasn't expecting, but a real bonus!

The smart "Trunkers" brought pop up tents to protect their exhibits and themselves from the rain.

Next year we are bringing a tent!

The cowboy brought an umbrella for Clifford and we were mighty obliged.

Some folks are so darn creative!

Ninjas!

If you are a Beatles fan, you should know what this is....

The Yellow Submarine!

Pug dressed up like a pumpkin.
In a graveyard...of course...

Inside this tent was a full cemetery complete with scary screams, trees, spiders and all the trimmings.

I got attacked.

A real good play on a family name.

They brought all kinds of bones.

A real buffalo skull.

My first unicorn and giraffe. (he probably didn't get that Facebook question correct...)

All handmade.

Ninja family.

Promptly at 5 pm Kids and parents started coming.  And the rain started coming down hard.
Most parents came prepared with umbrellas.

Warewolf.  Heading for Clifford....

Here are a few quick photos of some of the kids that stopped by to chat with Clifford the Dog

SMURFS!!!!!!  These girls planned what they were going to be and made their own outfits.

Alligator meets dog.

Some parents were really dressed up !
The Purple Princess with Duck Dynasty Dad

Cowboy and Big Bird.

Perfect timing for the World Series games!

Dinosaur baby

Tommy the Train twins

Crowds of kids came!
We started to run out of candy........ we brought 250 candy bars.
Fortunately, I ran to the main tent and asked for any extra candy they may have and the event organizers sent a fireman to our trunk with a bucket of candy!!! WOW!

One of my favorites--Dolphin Boy.

Raggedy Ann

Note the SOX on the pumpkin....

And the trunk looked like this:

Puff the Magic Dragon was getting tired.

Gypsys.

Barn Mouse

This beautiful princess told me her grandmother MADE her dress.

Sock Monkey

Another parent cowing around...

Superman eating candy!

Best cosmetics for a devil.

Another of my favorites. He made it himself.

The Wolf and Clifford.

Clifford had to get down on his knees for little kids because they all were a little bit timid about the size of the Big Red Dog.

Local Jail bird....

Town Cop.  I thought it was an Animal Control Officer and told Clifford he better have his "license" handy....

My favorite.....Dorothy and Toto.

SCOOBY DOO !

and just as we were running out of candy again, this nun showed up bringing the last of the kids to the trunks.  Then the heavens opened up and the rains pelted down and we all quickly gathered up all our wet stuff and headed home.  What an incredible event!!

Which costume here was your favorite ?

The organizers predicted there would be 20 decorated trunks and maybe 200 kids.

Well...... there were over 40 trunks and way over 400 kids plus another 400+ parents and grandparents.  Most everybody was dressed up!  Even the dogs!!

We went thru 500 candy bars.  I ate 10 myself to stay warm.

Set up was at 4pm. The kids got to come through the lines of trunks from 5-7 pm

Most of the trunks, trucks and tents had themes.     Some scary, others not.  But all were very creative.

If you do this in your town next year, bring a tent, umbrellas, rain gear and count on twice as many kids showing up.  Have other fun activities going on at the same time.

We are already planning what we are doing for next year.
Hint:   we are renting a bus!!
Hope your Halloween was exciting.

UPDATE:  Event organizers announced today that over 1,000 parents and kids showed up at this event.    No wonders we ran out of candy bars soooo many times.