It’s no myth that Halloween trick-or-treaters are forbidden to walk around the streets of Castleton, begging for candy or performing mischievous tricks upon those willing to comply with candy. This fact caused the Castleton Physical Education Majors Club and the Castleton Lions Club to team up. Over the last eight years, the two organizations have put on a Halloween party for the elementary school children in the Castleton, Fair Haven, West Rutland and Poultney areas.

At 6 p.m. on Halloween night, the children’s Halloween party will begin as local kids show off their superhero, monster, and witch costumes until 8 p.m.

The idea is to get the Castleton campus involved in providing a service for the community, where local children are able to enjoy the Halloween festivities safely and warmly.

The Lions Club provides monetary funds for the event, while students are in charge of set up, programming and cleanup. Clubs all over the campus host different booths with different activities for the children, such as face painting, pumpkin painting, learning to shoot a slap shot with a hockey player, and a haunted house. All the activities have been part of the traditions that started over the years from running the alternative Halloween customs.

Lisa Pleban, a Castleton professor of physical education, revealed that with all the leftover pumpkins, someone on campus will be “punk’d” with pumpkins stuffed into their office.

Pleban believes that this experience is good for all of those involved and even entices her students to participate.

“Students may elect to volunteer, write a paper to receive elective credit,” she said.

Jeff Morse, a former volunteer and athletic trainer major, is enthusiastic about the program.

“It’s nice seeing the kids come in and have fun,” he said.

This year the party was almost cancelled. In the past the event was hosted in the Glenbrook Gymnasium, but due to construction circumstances, the Halloween ho-down has been relocated to the Student Center, which will be shot down for the hours of the party.

The Rutland Halloween Parade is also falls on the same night. Those who do not want to make the trek and stand in the cold are more than welcome. The party will go on throughout the entire building and while the kids are engaged in their activities, the parents use it as a social event for themselves.

In the past, there have been cowboys, pirates, cheerleaders and Fred Flinstone in attendance. But this year, there’s going to be some bright colored 80’s punk rockers there to spice up the costume variety. Volunteers have been known to start for one year and then keep coming back for more.