With Halloween coming up on Saturday, Crookston residents and families will be treated with a number of fun events in the city this weekend.
COBBLESTONE HOTEL AND SUITES –
Cobblestone Hotel and Suites is hosting a Trunk or Treat event on Saturday evening from 4-6 p.m. Manager Lisa Tadd says the event will be COVID friendly, but there will be plenty of goodies to give away. “All of our staff will be here,” Tadd said. “We’re following state (COVID-19) guidelines. We’ll have gloves, masks, and the whole nine yards. We’re going to line cars up on the lawn areas. We have blow-ups, everyone handing out candy and we have a prize for the best-decorated trunk.”
GRAND THEATRE
The Grand Theatre will have its 8th Annual Free Halloween Movie night, with a family movie at 7:00 p.m. and a scary movie at 9:30. Theatre manager Bo Brorby says there’ll be a costume contest with prizes and Halloween specials with $2 Icees and popcorn. “We started this to give youth and teens a safe and fun option for something to do on Halloween,” Brorby said. “If you want, you can come in your costume and we give out prizes. We have snack specials all day long also.”
DOWNTOWN CROOKSTON DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP
Downtown Crookston Development Partnership (DCDP) is hosting a “Historic Halloween Candy Hunt” on Saturday night from 5-7 p.m. in the downtown area. They invite the community to “take a Halloween Night stroll” downtown to learn about the many historic buildings housed in Crookston – many of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. DCDP member Jess Bengston said the group wanted to host some kind of COVID-safe Halloween event, especially in a year when so many other events have been cancelled. “We wanted to do something for Halloween, because of all of the other event cancellations,” Bengston said. “We wanted to bring people downtown and social distance at the same time. So, we came up with this historic downtown candy hunt.”
Candy bowls will be set out in front of the buildings with historic facts posted that may have previous tenant information and features of the structures. Stops include places like the “Freaky Fournet – which has some guests scaling the walls,” “Terrifying Times,” “Creepy City Hall,” “Monster Montagues,” “Kooky Kiewel” and the “Eerie Eagles.” DCDP encourages people of all ages to share photos of their costumes and their downtown candy hunt adventures to the DCDP Facebook page. Participants are asked also to take only one piece of candy per stop, so there’s enough for everyone.
CROOKSTON LEO CLUB/CROOKSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
For just the second time in 32 years, the Crookston Halloween Party has been canceled, this time due to COVID-19. But the Crookston Police Department will partner with the Crookston High School Leo Club to do a drive-by Halloween Food Night Drive Saturday evening.
Crookston High School Leo Club Advisor Linda Morgan said they will give out candy for those bringing canned goods for the food shelf. “The Leo Club and the Police Department are going to meet here in the west parking lot from 4-7 p.m.,” said Morgan. “Come by with your canned goods, and then you’re going to get a bag of candy from the Police Department and the Leo Club. Come in costume, show us your costume and drive-by.”
Crookston Police Lieutenant Darin Selzler said the only other time the Halloween Party was canceled due to an Influenza outbreak. “I think this would’ve been our 32nd year doing the Halloween party,” said Selzler. “Linda and I have been managing the Halloween Party together for about 10 years, and I did it for a few years prior. There was only one (other) year we did cancel the Halloween Party in the 32 years we’ve been doing it. It was an Influenza A outbreak, and out of an abundance of caution, we canceled it that year. This year with the pandemic, obviously, that’s the highlight topic on everybody’s agenda. We weren’t able to do Safety Town or National Night Out and just kind of upset we weren’t able to do a lot of these community events and associate with a lot of the community members.”
The Leo Club and CPD will be collecting canned goods and handing out candy, and some other goodies, including safety information, said Selzler. “We’re also going to insert some safety materials in the bags,” said Selzler. “There will be some pencils and some other little goodies and treats in there. I think it’s just an awesome idea. Again, it provides a safe atmosphere and environment for the kids to get out but still observe the COVID-19 guidelines where you don’t have to have face-to-face contact. Still able to give back to the community in both ways – of having a safe environment and getting the food drive and give to the community that way. Glad we can try to do something in the times of COVID-19.”
Morgan added that those unable to drive-by the school Saturday night can also call to have their canned food donation picked up. “If you can’t drive by, you can call me at 281-2144 or Darin Selzler at 281-3111,” said Morgan. “We can certainly come and pick up your food and bring it to the food shelf if you happen to not be able to drive-by. We’d be glad to do that.”
