Northampton and Florence host Halloween events this weekend
Downtown Northampton's trick-or-treat event moves from 3 to 6 p.m. on Halloween, while Florence marks another year of its Rag Shag Parade.
NORTHAMPTON — Trick-or-treaters will find participating downtown businesses handing out treats and deals on Main Street this Halloween, as the Northampton Chamber of Commerce leads the Downtown Trick or Treat event for the first time. The event runs Saturday, Oct. 31, from 3 to 6 p.m., inviting families to shop and collect goodies from downtown merchants.
Chamber Executive Director Vince Jackson said the organization is seizing the opportunity because Halloween ranks as the second-largest commercial holiday in the country in terms of consumer spending. "It's rallying downtown businesses and merchants to give families another reason to visit downtown, shop, play, have fun, do all the things that we like to see people doing in downtown Northampton," Jackson said.
Participating businesses will display Trick or Treat flyers in their storefronts. Jackson said the rewards vary. "It could be a handful of candy, or it could be a special savings, you just never know what you might get. So, the key is to come hang out, enjoy, go to your favorite places and let your kids and have a good time," he said.
Jackson emphasized the community benefit of such events. "It's really introducing them early on in life about the importance of community coming together and supporting small businesses," Jackson said. He noted that the Chamber's other events—the Ice Art Festival, Taste of Northampton, and Jazz Festival—also draw people downtown and boost local spending. "We see it in meals tax revenue, we see it in parking revenue, we see it in restaurant increases," he said.
In Florence, residents will gather for the Florence Rag Shag Parade, a tradition running since the 1940s. The march steps off at 6 p.m. from Trinity Park and travels down Main Street, ending at the Florence Civic Center. Florence Civic Association Parade Committee Co-Chair Chris Powers said the event welcomes all families and features live music, prizes, and treats.
The Haunted House, held inside Florence VFW Post 8006, returns this year with a Nursery Rhymes theme. "It's just nice to come up there. A lot of parents and grandparents love to just come down and watch the elaborate costumes with kids," Powers said. "It takes you back to a time where things weren't so hectic, and there weren't cell phones in everyone's hands."