Halloween 2020

Sunshine Greets Halloween Revelers in Downtown Leavenworth

By Peggy Bair

The last day of October, 2020, ushered in the last of a number of things this year, not altogether in an unfriendly fashion. Mother Nature brought some relief from an abrupt early frost with some Halloween sunshine.

Seemingly whisking Halloween partiers along with an invisible nudge, the wind swirled under the roof of the Haymarket Square in Leavenworth, the last Farmers Market of the 2020 season. With temperatures near 60 degrees, the sunshine brightened the festivities. The revelers spilled out into the sidewalks of downtown, filling the sidewalks and shop fronts with colorful costumes. Smiles were plentiful as the event allowed thousands of residents to enjoy an open outdoor setting and a chance to reconnect with the area businesses again through a safe trick or treat.

Haymarket Square was filled with the burnt oranges and yellows of the late harvests of butternut and acorn squashes and warty gourds, the last of the tomatoes and the hardy chard and kale. Baked goods and jellies lined the tables around buckets of Halloween candy from the vendors. Parents paraded their young ghouls through the sidewalks and pathways for treats and balloons.

The farm work will continue for the farmer vendors, of course. Some farmers have greenhouses that will continue to yield fresh greens, then there are still hens that will continue to lay eggs. There will be time out on growing for maintenance on machinery as well as planning head for next year.

Jacob Thomas, from JET Produce and Meats, said that his family usually takes its vacation in early December every year because, by January, the farm is starting back up preparations for the next year’s production.

Saturday is also the last day of daylight savings time in 2020 before clocks are to be set back one hour early Sunday. And, the last of the campaigning is rushing to a frenzied close for one of the most contentious presidential and congressional elections in recent history. Early voter turnouts and mail in ballots have exceeded historical records.

For one day, though, under a warm bright sun and blue skies, the colorful ritual of dressing up in costume was an excuse to temporarily forget thoughts of disagreement, and bring a town together, bring friends back out of their houses to reconnect with each other and the places they love in their town.

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