BELFAST, Maine — Cedar Street was under siege.
Scores of skeletons, vampires, witches and Hannah Montanas — an estimated 2,000 trick-or-treaters in total — roamed the leafy residential street Saturday evening, and they weren’t going away until they got their fill of candy.
“Out on the street, it’s an ocean of kids,” marveled resident Paul Yeaton from a vantage point high in a tree in his front yard. “They come from all over [Waldo] county. It’s a big thing.”
Halloween on Cedar Street is a growing phenomenon, homeowners said as they threw candy into the pumpkin buckets of the relentless surge of costumed kids. Residents provide their own goodies, which can easily top $100, they said. For the past two years, Yeaton has led an informal appeal for donated candy called “Trick or Treats for Cedar Street,” which has provided some pounds of treats to households.
But it’s obvious the spooky celebration is a labor of love from those who participate.
Five jack-o’-lanterns glowed on the steps of Mary Ruoff Hodsdon’s house, as the orange-and-black-clad resident presided over a silver lobster pot of candy.
“I just love the holiday,” she said. “I just figure, if you live on this street, it’s your chance to contribute to the joy of humanity.”
Trick-or-treaters have been flocking to the street for years, Yeaton said, but they haven’t always been counted in the thousands. That may be in part because Cedar Street is the kind of tightly knit neighborhood that holds a group yard sale, a Christmas party and a summer block party.
“For some reason, for our entire county, this is where the kids get shipped in,” he said. “People run out of places to park.”
Hodsdon said children started coming by at 3 p.m. Saturday, even as she and her husband and son rushed to finish carving the pumpkins. She greeted some youngsters by name and exclaimed over the cute — or scary — costumes of others. But there was little time to absorb the sights or “digest the costumes” as an informal line started snaking down her walkway.
“To me, it’s kind of like a medieval street festival,” Hodsdon said while giving a treat to 4-year-old Trinity Frank of Belfast, who was dressed as a ladybug.
Michelle Frank, Trinity’s mother, said she planned to walk all the way to the end of Cedar Street.
“I think it’s fantastic,” Frank said.
“By 6 p.m., you won’t even be able to see across the street for all of the people,” added her husband, Tony Frank.
As darkness fell, a fitful wind kicked up golden piles of fallen leaves and thin clouds skittered across the gibbous moon high in the night sky.
Halloween packs of teenagers wove up and down the street, arms wrapped around each other. They joined the parade of princesses, pumpkins, Harry Potters, Hagrids, ghouls and more. A homemade bulldozer and a robot marched from door to door, along with a waffle, a piece of pizza, a tree. They came in strollers and Snuglis, from places such as Morrill, Searsport, Monroe and even Deer Isle.
Terry Tomalty of Montreal, grandfather of a little boy dressed as Curious George, expressed his disbelief at the sight.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. “Never.”
Shrieks and spooky music blared from one home that was guarded by a ghoul in a cage and featured shrubbery heavily draped in cobwebs. Although the house, which belongs to Thom and Crystal Roberts, seemed to have the power to turn previously bold children to stone, little Matthew Boutin, 7, of Frankfort bravely marched past a graveyard and up to the candy.
“I’m not scared,” he said.
Thom Roberts said Halloween is his favorite holiday.
“I’d take this over Christmas anytime,” he said. “We have more kids coming every year.”
Alicia Gaiero, 11, of Belfast looked delighted to be trick-or-treating in her ball gown with a pack of friends.
“I like it because everybody’s here,” she said. “It’s always creepy, and all your friends come.”