How committed is Bates to the whole concept of Halloween? Extremely so. From preparations to the final celebrations, Halloween at Bates ran from Oct. 27-31. The celebration started with the classic first step: getting jack-o ’-lanterns ready, followed by costume making, (and reveals) and then on to the sweet main event — candy for the community — followed by a pair of parties for students.

Careful carving

Students got started on Halloween festivities on Wednesday, Oct. 27 with a pumpkin-carving event hosted by the Center for Global Education. The event — held outside Commons — brought together first-year and sophomore students from domestic and international backgrounds.

Led by Dari Jigjidsuren, the new assistant dean for international students, the afternoon was filled with creativity, laughter, and autumn spirit. Experiencing the beloved American tradition of carving a pumpkin came with some treats, including delicious pumpkin pies and apple cider.

Help from the costume shop

With Halloween in mind, Gail St. Pierre, the director of retail for Post and Print and contract manager for the Bates College Store, went looking for some bobcat ears. The Bates College Board of Trustees would be on campus for their fall meeting from Oct. 29-31, in the exact timeframe of Bates’ multipart celebration of Halloween. Thinking they might like to get in the spirit, she went full bore into a retail quest, but to no avail.

“Oh, we searched and searched,” St. Pierre said. “The internet, Halloween shops. We found bears, foxes, dogs, and bats but not the elusive bobcat.” 

So she started to think like a maker. “Let’s start by sourcing the supplies needed; fur, headbands, and let’s try and create something ourselves with a glue gun.” Then it hit her; why not turn to the professional costume makers in Theater and Dance? Associate Professor of Theater Christine McDowell and Costume Shop Director Rebecca Armstrong were game. 

“Rebecca worked on the prototype, which blew us all away,” St. Pierre said. Students workers at the Costume Shop reproduced them in bulk, enough to outfit every trustee and then some. Working with (faux) fur isn’t easy, so a group of nearly a dozen students got a chance to practice a very specific bobcat skill.

“A win-win,” St. Pierre says. 

Best dressed at the museum

Speaking of costumes, if Bates gave out prizes for come-as-your-coworker costumes, Morgan Hough would likely have gotten first place. Hough, an assistant education curator at the Bates College Museum of Art, dressed as her colleague Anthony Shostak, education curator. We thought she nailed it, and so, apparently, did Shostak. 

Candy time

Then it was onto the main event on Oct. 29, when hundreds of local families came to campus for a trick-or-treat event sponsored by the Harward Center for Community Partnerships. From 5 to 7 p.m., trick-or-treaters visited tables hosted by Bates clubs, organizations, and sports teams. Bates students greeted trick-or-treaters with creative costumes, fun activities, and candy.

Through his role as the chief marketing officer of Ferrara Candy Company, Greg Guidotti ‘92 donated candy for this year’s campus trick of treat — Nerds, Nerd Gummy Clusters, Laffy Taffy, and more. In all, Bates had 72,000 pieces of candy on hand for what has been an annual event since 2023. The night before the event, a group of students sorted the candy to prepare for eager trick-or-treaters.

The Bates Chemical Society brought science to life with its “Witches’ Brew” chemistry demonstration, captivating young trick-or-treaters with a colorful acid-base reaction during Bates’ Halloween festivities. The interactive demonstration showcased the fascinating chemistry behind pH changes as the solution transformed from pink to blue and back to pink again, introducing children to the wonders of chemical reactions through a fun, Halloween-inspired experiment.

The celebration continues

On Friday night, celebrations continued in Memorial Commons with WRBC: Bates College Radio’s annual Halloween Concert where student bands dressed up and played the music of beloved famous bands. Playing at this year’s concert were impersonators of U2, Fleetwood Mac, Nirvana, and The Strokes.

The last event of this year’s Halloweekend was the annual Halloween dance held in the Gray Cage, outfitted with a photo booth and pizza. Attendees danced the night away dressed in their very best costumes to music played by student DJs. The nearby Bobcat Den also stayed open later than usual on Friday and Saturday, convenient for costumed students looking for a late night spooky snack.