Imagine walking through a small town on the way to the library or the local coffee shop and a vampire just passes by on the sidewalk. Then, just a few feet away, Spiderman and Little Bo Peep are crossing the street hand in hand. To the right, Micheal Meyers is walking out of the bakery with a sugared donut in one hand and a knife in the other. This is exactly what Cannon Falls looked like on October 30th when it hosted its annual Trick or Trot. Trick or Trot is where young witches and warlocks, princes and princesses, visit downtown Cannon Falls to collect candy from the local business owners. Grown-up witches and wizards have fond memories of Trick or Trot and the residents of Cannon Falls look forward to this tradition every year. However, Trick or Trot is more than just a fun way to celebrate Halloween. It is also very beneficial to both the families and local businesses of Cannon Falls. 

As they placed their candy corn-shaped hats on top of their heads, they knew their ensemble was complete. They would be the cutest witches in the town. Children vibrated with the anticipation of all the candy they would collect and later hide under their beds so that they could eat all of it while their parents were asleep. For years kids have dressed up as their favorite characters in preparation to collect as much candy as possible at Cannon Falls’s downtown Trick or Trot. Beth Barrett, a former Trick or Trotter and a current employee of High-Quality Bakery in downtown CF, said “Reese’s peanut butter cups were my favorite. I always counted how many I had collected after trick or treating.” Cannon Quade, a member of the school’s theater department who was handing out candy, said his favorite memory was dressing up as Peter Pan’s shadow; wearing an all-black leotard his uncle described as “so bad it’s good.” Whether it’s dressing up as a ghoulish monster or collecting delicious candy, Trick or Trot is something everyone can enjoy.

When it comes to this year’s Trick or Trot, Beth Barrett said her favorite moment was a little boy dressed up as a dinosaur who greeted her by saying “Trick or Rawr.” The high school theater program that was dressed up as their characters in this year’s musical production of Frozen said “seeing all the little Elsas and Annas.” Trick or Trot has more to offer than just fun costumes and delicious candy though. It provides a safe environment for young families to celebrate Halloween. While running around at night knocking on strangers’ doors is very fun for little kids, we must admit that this is not the safest tradition.

Trick or Trot takes place during the day in a family-friendly environment. There are police as well as volunteers at every corner directing traffic and all the booths are pre-approved by the city. This puts parents at ease and allows the children to collect their candy free of risk. Regarding this topic, Cannon Quade said “Trick or Trot is a great time for families and the community to get together, especially after this past year.” Trick or Trot is also great for our local businesses as well. This is a great time for them to advertise themselves to the community by passing out flyers to parents, hosting Halloween specials, or just making themselves known to potential future customers. Trick or Trot brings the community together while simultaneously benefiting the local economy. 

No matter the creature or species all are welcome at Cannon Falls Trick or Trot. It has brought so many people pleasant memories and hopefully will continue to do so for years to come. It brings Cannons Falls Community together and boosts local business through the love of candy and all things sweet. The next time a vampire passes on the street and Micheal Meyers waves hello, it could be a very strange dream or it could be Cannon Falls annual Halloween Celebration, Trick or Trot.