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With school colors of black and orange, it makes sense that Wrenshall should go all out for Halloween. The school's recently formed Partners in Education (PIE) group joined with Wrenshall Community Education to offer a family fun night Oct. 28 in the school commons area.

School board member Misty Bergman provided totes full of decorations, including ghouls, goblins, and a healthy number of plastic rats. Karola Dalen spent the week leading up to the party coming up with signature spooks to bedeck cheeks and hands for the body painting table. Trish Swanson, Ashley Laveau and other volunteers inflated more than 100 balloons to make an entry arch into the monster dance arena. Tim Rahkola provided the sound system for the dance and the personnel for the concession stand.

Lots of volunteers provided treats for the PIE bake sale table, including a generous donation of dozens of cupcakes from Laurie Anderson of Cake Creations, a local Wrenshall business.

Chloe Swanson's photojournalism students were on hand to document the evening and the accompanying photograph showcases the joy of the event with friends and family in costumes. My own family partook in the festivities and my oldest son gave the evening a 100, with 100 being the top rating.

On Halloween, Wrenshall residents gave their own 100 percent with a fabulous showing of treats and tricks for local kids and their adults. I don't know if it was the warmer weather and spectacular sunset or pent-up energy for hitting the streets after three years of pandemic uncertainty – the town saw an increase in numbers of kids with orange buckets and pillowcases roaming in masks and makeup. At least three houses were done with candy before 7 p.m. with no sign of letup from the costumed marauders.

The house on Erickson Lane has been a regular topic of conversation in our household leading up to Halloween. Dubbed "the spook house," it always offers a jump scare or two on the walk to the door. This year the animatronic army of red-eyed witches, scarecrows, and spiders were joined by two especially frightening grim reapers standing as sentries to the driveway.

While Erickson Lane was clearly the standout in decorations this year, the house on Mason Drive that placed its full-sized wolfman costume with backlighting behind the front door needs a special honorary mention. So too does the house on Goad Road that is keeping alive the practice of distributing candy through a tube. Nothing is more delightful than getting Milk Duds slid to you via a section of gutter through a ghost mouth.

Anne Dugan writes periodically about things happening around Wenshall. Contact her with news and tips at [email protected].