Norwood Gets Festive With Long Weekend of Halloween Activities

NORWOOD, MA - Autumn is in the air in Norwood, as the Recreation Department prepares for its second annual Fall Fest Weekend of Halloween happenings.

Assistant Director Katie Seastedt said there will be something for all ages between Thursday evening and late Sunday night.

"This is honestly my favorite weekend," she said. "When I was in school, we didn't have all of the activities that we are offer now. It's a fun-filled weekend for everyone in the town to get together."

She added that the department planned the events over the holiday weekend of Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day because of other Halloween-themed events offered throughout town later in the month.

"We want to be a good community partner," Seastedt said. "We know there are a lot of things going on during Halloween, so we planned our events over the long weekend. People's schedules are very busy, so we spread things over several days so if they can't do something on one day, they can come to another event."

An updated listing of events can be found here.

TD Bank is sponsoring the entire weekend, according to Seastedt.

"Because of TD Bank, we are able to fund the events either for free or at a very reduced cost," she said. "We are very grateful to them for all of their support."

One of the biggest events is the Trunk or Treat, which will be held Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Department of Public Works parking lot at 1 Lyman Place. It was first held last year at the Skating Club of Boston. People are asked to either pay $1 or to bring a canned food item for the Norwood Food Pantry. Register in advance here.

"If we had to pay for the candy, we would typically go through about $1,500 to $2,000 worth of candy in just one hour," Seastedt said. "With TD Bank's donation, 100 percent of the pure profit can do directly to the food pantry.

Families can view a series of Halloween-decorated backs of cars in what is becoming a hot trend compared to traditional trick-or-treating in light of COVID-19. This year, children will receive a goody bag as they exit the event rather than reaching into the trunks for candy for safety reasons.

"There will be a screen placed over the trunks," Seastedt said. "That way the kids can see the cool decorations without getting too close. Safety is our priority."

Residents have contributed as well, with people dropping by the Recreation Department with bags of candy.

"That's what I really love about this community," Seastedt added. "Everyone really comes together to support these activities."

Because of the pandemic, some events have pivoted to outdoor locations, she explained.

"For example, we usually hold Thursday night's sock hop in the gym," Seastedt said. "But we didn't think it would be safe to have 250 kids at an indoor dance at this point. So instead, we are having it there at Ivatt's Tennis Courts with a deejay. Luckily, we're expecting it to be 75 degrees out, so we should have a great turnout."

The sock hop will be held on Oct. 7 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. There is a $5 fee for residents and an $8 fee for non-residents. Pre-registration is required, and the link can be found on the Recreation Department's event page.

Adults are not left out of the weekend's fun. On Sunday, Oct. 10 from noon to 4 p.m., the Castle Island Brewing Co.at 31 Astor Ave. will host a New England Patriots game party for the 21-plus crowd. There is an attendance limit of 100, so preregistration is required.

"This year we rented the entire place because of how popular it was," Seastedt said. "Last year, there was a 40th surprise birthday on the same day. S0 with the maximum capacity of 100 people, we were filled up in the first 10 minutes."

The free Pumpkin Float from 6 to 9 p.m. on Sunday evening will cap off the celebration at the pond behind the Hawes Pool at 1305 Washington St., adjacent to the Coakley Middle School.

"This is really a family event, but the great thing is that it's the families doing the work," she . "They are carving their pumpkins together. We supply the floaters. It's magical to see 300 or 400 pumpkins floating on the pond."

The Cub Scouts also are participating by running fire pits and helping with s'more making.

"It's a great way to bring the community together after everything that has happened over the past 18 months," Seastedt said. "And it's all about community involvement."