Back then, Halloween was celebrated by children only. A
large Halloween carnival was hosted by Hawkins elementary. I think it was only
on the bottom floor, but different rooms offered activities and sold tickets
for people to participate. These activities were things like a cake walk,
dunking for apples, etc. Everyone, children that is, would turn out in
costume. They sold all kinds of food in
the cafeteria. It was truly a hometown center of fun. My costumes were usually
the store bought variety of clowns or skeletons with the suffocating plastic
mask that I could barely see out of. It evolved into making our own costumes
which usually consisted of hobos and witches. When we left the carnival, Mother
and Daddy would take me individually to go door to door in search of the
trick-or-treat candy. They would follow along in the car. This wouldn’t last
for long as it was usually getting late on a school night. I remember pilfering through the candy and
separating the things that I didn’t like and Daddy would usually finish it up.
