by Jen Oemig
CHELMSFORD – Chelmsford elementary school children and their families will have lots to celebrate this weekend, as the four parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) will be hosting their premier fall events.
South Row’s Pumpkin Fair and Trunk-or-Treat events at both Center and Harrington Elementary Schools take place on the same day, Saturday, Oct. 19, and Byam’s Boo Bash will happen on Sunday, Oct. 20.
South Row Pumpkin Fair – Saturday, Oct. 19, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Now in its 51st year, the South Row Pumpkin Fair is one of the school’s most anticipated traditions.
“It has grown and changed over the years but still is our largest event of the school year,” said Liz Haugner, a South Row PTO member. “It is also the only one we open up to the entire community meaning families from any school are welcome to attend.”
Though there have been some recent changes to the event, Haugner said the PTO strives to provide attendees with games, face painting, colored hair spray, crafts and food.
“But the main attraction will always be our pumpkin patch where you can pick out your pumpkin to carve at home or decorate right there at the fair,” she said. “Most of the activities are ticketed so you can purchase a strip of tickets then pick and choose where to use them. Pumpkins and food trucks are an additional cost.”
There are also some activities that are completely free and there is no cost to take a picture with the Chelmsford Lion mascot.
“We greatly appreciate the Pop-up Library joining us and are anticipating a fire truck and police cruiser to be there for the kids to see too,” Haugner said. “There really is something for all interests and ages.”
Planning for the Pumpkin Fair starts in March to set the date, schedule food trucks, find volunteers to help with logistics and check in with the farm partner for the event.
“Patanaude Farm in Dunstable has been an amazing family-owned local farm to work with and they bring us some fantastic pumpkins every year,” Haugner said. “We could not do this event without them. Our volunteers are also such an asset to making this a success.”
Center Trunk-or-Treat – Saturday, Oct. 19, 1 to 3 p.m.
Though she’s not certain when the Trunk-or-Treat event first started, Ellen Ellis, co-president of the Center School PTO, said it’s become a beloved tradition.
“Our community loves this event,” she said. “It is free and open to all Center families. We get really great feedback from those who attend. The weather last year felt like summer, and we had hundreds of kids attend. It was a lot of fun.”
Meant specifically for the Center School community, the Trunk-or-Treat event relies on volunteers to not only decorate their trunks, but also help with setup, cleanup and to help run activities.
“We have been ending the loop around the school at the playground, where we usually have a scavenger hunt and some cute prizes for kids who complete it,” Ellis said, adding that the event is inclusive for all Center families. “We don’t require any ticket purchases or admission fees. And there is no fee to enter a trunk, either.”
The CSPTO does have a budget for candy, but families may also bring their own to distribute; candy donations are also accepted at the school’s main office prior to the event.
During the event, attendees can vote for the “best trunk” via a QR code posted around the loop; the winner gets a modest prize and bragging rights for the next year.
“Our families are so creative and it is so fun to see what they come up with,” Ellis said.
Harrington Trunk-or-Treat – Saturday, Oct. 19, 4 to 6 p.m.
Harrington Elementary School will also be hosting a Trunk-or-Treat event, which has been taking place for the past five years, but has undergone a rebranding for 2024.
“We are hoping our changes are well received and that family and friends get to enjoy some time together,” said Jackie Ringland, co-president of the Harrington PTO.
Like many of these types of events, Ringland said volunteers play a crucial role in making the Trunk-or-Treat successful.
“We can’t make this event happen without volunteers who will decorate their trunks and hand out candy, volunteers to help set up, run crafts and face painting tables, and of course, we rely on candy donations so we have enough treats to hand out to everyone,” she said. “We need more families to decorate their trunks to make this a spooktacular event for all of the kids!”
This year, there is no charge to sign up and decorate a trunk, and candy will be provided by donations leading up to the event.
“We know everyone is busy these days, but we are hoping families set aside that day to hop around to the events across town and end their day at Harrington,” Ringland said. “We can’t wait to see all of the kids in their costumes. We hope they are as excited as we are for this event!”
Byam Boo Bash – Sunday, Oct. 20, 1 to 4 p.m.
An annual event that is near and dear to the Byam Elementary School community, the Boo Bash has been running for over 10 years.
“This is the first year we switched the event to Sunday instead of Saturday,” said Carolyn Sousa, president of the Byam PTO. “We were finding we were getting more conflicts with sports as opposed to other community events on Saturdays.”
The Boo Bash, which is open to the whole community, features a Trunk-or-Treat, cake walk, crafts, face painting and more.
“Children come dressed in their costumes and have a blast with their friends and even see Principal Fredette and staff members dressed in their costumes,” said Sousa.
Planning for the Boo Bash gets underway over the summer, and requires about 30-35 volunteers to put together a fun day for the kids, as well as about 20 cars for the Trunk-or-Treat.
Since a large portion of the event takes place outside the school, parking is not allowed in the Byam lot; those who attend can park in the Lockheed Martin lot across the street.
Admission ($15 per child in advance of the event and $20 at the door) includes unlimited visits to all of the activity stations at Boo Bash; pizza, water and ice cream will also be available for purchase at the event.
“We are looking forward to seeing the smiling faces of the kids,” Sousa said. “They are always excited to show off their costumes and run around with friends. We know these are lifetime memories they are making!”
