The leaves have changed colors and are piling up on the sidewalks. Smoke is rising from the occasional chimney. Football is being played at Cameron Stadium. And, yes, there are some spooky decorations here and there. Halloween is coming.
One place you’re sure to see some of those decorations is on Maple Street in Bangor. For whatever unknown reason, this historic eastside neighborhood has become Bangor’s center of the Halloween universe. Orange lights, jack-o’-lanterns, skeletons, cobwebs, spiders, bats, ghosts, goblins and smoke machines line the sidewalks that fill with trick-or-treaters every year. Maybe it’s that the architecture of the old Sears and Roebuck catalog homes remind people of the classic haunted house, or that it is a particularly wide street with enough room to park, or that it is one of the oldest family neighborhoods in the city
One thing is certain: by 6 p.m. Halloween night, Maple Street, from Mt. Hope to Garland, will be cranking.
According to one resident, celebrating Halloween with such enthusiasm on the street can be traced back about 15 years. Her son was battling leukemia at the time, and to lift his spirits, the family decided to go all out for the holiday: decorating the yard, donning costumes and inviting all his friends. Over the years, other neighbors joined in, at times trying to outdo each other in a friendly decorating competition.
Thankfully, her son beat the cancer but has since grown too old for trick-or-treating. The tradition, on the other hand, never stopped. Over one thousand children visit the street every year. In fact, with Halloween falling on a Friday this year, she expects it to be one of the biggest turnouts ever.
But what’s really bewitching about Maple Street on Halloween is not the number of people, or the elaborately decorated yards and porches, it’s the authenticity of such a homespun event. This is not an official block party. It is not sanctioned in any way. There is no entry fee or professional photographer. This is just about families, neighbors, children and candy-fueled chaos.
Nights such as this are exceedingly rare and, frankly, priceless. If you are among the droves of trick-or-treaters that night, you will be treated to something special. Something seldom seen in this era of over-commercialized holidays and plastic whimsy. Of course, there also is free candy.
It should be noted that so many of the street’s residents participate, willingly spending anywhere from $100-$500 on candy and decorations. Bangor Gardens and the Little City offer similar family-friendly trick-or-treating, but most would agree Maple Street takes it to another level.
If you are strictly looking to be freaked out, look elsewhere. The scariest things on Maple Street are pretty tame or just unintentionally disturbing. You will be entertained, though. From an impossibly cute 3-year-old in a bee costume to a grown man dressed as some kind of demon in sweat pants, there’s something for everyone.
I memorably saw someone very realistically dressed as Predator, randomly posing in the street. In another surreal moment, I saw my doctor dressed as a doctor. Then there was the group of four young adults handing out candy dressed, and perfectly cast, as the gang from Scooby-Doo. Their large dog sat between them just taking it all in.
That’s all you can do is try to take it all in, as your children move quickly from house to house. Where I grew up in the country, it was a five-minute drive between houses. For these children, it’s a five-second walk.
Seeing their excitement, you can’t help but smile as you maneuver through the costumed crowd. The newer parents hover by their children with guidance such as “Be careful!” and “Say thank you!” The more experienced moms and dads hang back, moving in only to tie a shoelace or raid their child’s candy bucket.
And while savvy parents may get some Skittles or dark chocolate, this is their children’s night, and it’s about more than just candy. Because even when childhood ends, and that little kid becomes too old — or too cool — for trick-or-treating, he or she can graduate to handing out candy to the children that just moved in next door.
One warning to the new grown-ups: seeing the spectacle of Halloween on Maple Street, you just might start to feel like a kid again.
Hunter Smith lives in Bangor and may be reached at hunter.bangor@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter @hunter_smyth.