Trunk or Treat gives local kids traditional Halloween fun

Anyone in the Bliss Corner neighborhood on Saturday afternoon might have seen a swarm of little ghosts, goblins, and ghoulies dancing and gathering candy at the third annual Trunk or Treat Halloween event at the Stackhouse.

Dartmouth resident Megan Bussiere organizes the free event every year to raise funds for her daughter’s dance team.

This year — its third — the fundraiser included a DJ dance party and a raffle along with the carefully cordoned off and socially distanced line for kids to pick candy from the decorated cars.

“I think it’s going fabulous,” Bussiere said. “It’s only been a half an hour, and I have three people already asking me for more candy. So it’s huge this year!”

But it wasn’t just full of trick-or-treaters, she noted, as the number of participants handing out candy was also larger than ever. 

“I usually have about 18 cars, and this year I have I think about 25,” she said. “It’s getting so big we don’t even put a car in anymore, because it’s just too crazy.”

The raffle is also the largest she’s ever held, with 38 items on offer — including gift certificates, baskets of goodies, and even a three-night stay at a log cabin in Tennessee — donated by local businesses.

“This year I don’t even care about the money,” she said with a smile. “My kids just love Halloween. My son’s obsessed.”

As for herself, she added with a laugh, “It’s my favorite holiday. I love it!” 

Five-year-old Sophia Couto of Dartmouth dressed up as a unicorn for the occasion — and she was looking for just one thing. “CHOColate!” she said with a grin.

“We’re in a pirate group, that’s why we have the gear,” said Sandy Howland, who explained that she and best friend Debi Trinidad are members of the Rogues’ Armada, which hires out pirate performers. 

Skeletons and an animatronic parrot completed the scene at their station.

“Last year because of triple E we couldn’t do this,” said 11-year-old Madalen Williams, who was handing out candy dressed as a Victorian lady. “I love Halloween, because I feel like you can express yourself by dressing up how you like.”

Further along the line, Oogie Boogie — also known as Sabrina Menard of New Bedford — agreed. 

“I have a bunch of Nightmare Before Christmas [costumes],” she said. “I love Halloween. You dress up as your favorite, and you get sweet stuff!”

Menard — like many of the trunk-or-treat distributors — made a candy chute for social distancing the candy grab. 

“I got to make the chute,” she noted, adding that it’s a more convenient delivery system for wheelchair users and smaller kids. “We had a lot of fun making it, and we’re actually going to keep using it.”

“With all of the Covid issues, we felt bad that a lot of places were cancelling trick-or-treat,” said lifelong Dartmouth Linda Raedel, who was handing out candy with daughter Amanda from the back of a truck stacked with hay and farm decorations. “We thought that this was a safe way to do it.”

“It’s great, I love the kids,” she added.

Carolyn Picanzo of Dartmouth brought her grandkids, and said they had a great time. 

“My littlest one, he was a pirate. But he took it off and he’s just playing with dinosaurs now,” she laughed.

At the other end of the raffle table, five-year-old Madison Panagopoulos in an M&M costume showed off a purple plastic toy. “I got a man,” she said. “And candy!”