November 6, 2009
by Patti Bressman
One neighborhood stands alone in this town for a trick-or-treating tradition that dates back over 75 years (or perhaps longer, but only the ghost and goblins know for sure!) The first little princess arrived this year just before 4:30 p.m. with her superhero toddler brother in tow, and the evening finally winded down with a rowdy bunch of Greeley students at just before 9:00 p.m. But it is not the duration of the receiving line that makes this neighborhood unique, but rather the volume of visitors and the spirit of the neighbors within this small enclave that makes Pinecliff Road a trick-or-treaters perennial favorite.
Remember back to your childhood when everyone carved pumpkins, hung spooky decorations, and eagerly greeted visitors at the door? Well, we do! It’s that feeling of returning to your childhood roots that draws so many visitors from throughout the town and beyond to Pinecliff Road for trick-or-treating.
With homes that are relatively close together (which makes for greater efficiency when targeting this mother lode of candy collection!), the neighborhood takes on a block-party atmosphere. Children and parents fill the mostly darken streets, which are lit sparsely by street lights and glowing pumpkins. Homes are often dappled with cobwebs and spiders, with yards elaborated filled with graveyards and mummies and an occasional flying mannequin or two.
Jean, whose family moved to Pinecliff in1945 when she was as a young girl, fondly recalls her mother and neighbors getting together well in advance of Halloween to make homemade cupcakes and candy, carefully wrapping them for trick-or-treaters in Halloween napkins, then tying them with orange ribbons. She had to laugh at the thought of what parents’ and kids’ reactions would be today to such homemade treats!
Mindy and Stew, 24-year residents, were away on Saturday night and missed Halloween on Pinecliff for the first time in as many years. It has been a long-standing tradition for friends and neighbors to stop by their elaborated decorated house for a taste of Stew’s delicious eggplant parmaggiano while their children tote flashlights and candy bags up and down the block. Mindy estimated Stew’s annual offering typically weighs in at around 20 pounds, “He’s probably cooked up about 400 pounds of eggplant for Halloween over the last 20 plus years!”
Rookie mistake!
How much is enough? Until you’ve experience Pinecliff as a resident you can’t fully appreciate the experience. Though forewarned about the traffic on the block and the need to be prepared, Pam and Eric could not completely comprehend what lay ahead. “We moved here twelve years ago right before Halloween and were warned by neighbors to buy a LOT of candy,” she recalled. “I didn’t really know what that meant until I very quickly ran out of candy and had to go make an emergency run to Rite Aid. It wasn’t easy getting off of the street. We’ve never run out since and look forward to Halloween all year long. It’s the one night when we all get to be kids again. The hardest part is deciding who gets to stay home and give out the candy and who gets to walk around the neighborhood.”
David, with well over 20 years’ of Pinecliff Halloween experience, had this to add: “We have friends in town who never buy candy for Halloween. No one’s ever rung their doorbell. On Pinecliff we buy double the candy we think we need. If we run out later in the evening, it’s time to borrow from our kids’ haul.”
Beth, who this year celebrated her second Halloween on the block, took care that she didn’t run out this year. However, she made sure she handed the visitors their candy, instead of the ‘ol reach-in-the-bowl-and-grab-what-you-can technique. Beth estimates this year’s tally “at 275 visitors was close to the usual evening’s attendance level.”
The neighborhood has become such a draw that visitors even come from surrounding communities. One such annoyed, and annoying, visitor complained that she had traveled “all the way from Greenwich and was quite disappointed with the parking situation,” then proceeded to park in the author’s driveway and traverse the streets!
With the all the excitement, a word of caution
As the legend has grown over the years, so has the fun, . . . but with that comes a word of caution! LuAnne had this to offer: “The fact that Halloween was on a Saturday told me that, no matter what the weather, we would get bombarded with trick-or-treaters. So I bought extra bags of candy, truly a LOT of candy! The real challenge came, however, when I was in Shop Rite, and overheard two moms talking about going to the ‘greatest block for treats.’ and they both said in unison ‘Pinecliff Road’!!! I went back to the candy aisle and got five more bags. So, I felt prepared. A former resident of Pinecliff even dropped off extra candy left over from an event, knowing I would need it.”
“What I was not prepared for though,” LuAnne continued, “was the safety issue that arose for the first time in 19 years of living here. I had to leave the block during the evening, and could barely drive down the street. Cars were parked on both sides of the road all the way down the block. Kids were running down the street, slipping on the wet leaves. I couldn’t get caught up in their excitement until I made it safely to Route 120. Even then I was shocked to see cars spilling out, parked even on that major road!”
But I didn’t hear of any injuries, and I, too, survived another Halloween. It is one of my favorite holidays because of the decorating and sense of excitement that I feel is a unique aspect of living on this wonderful block. I wonder what next year will be like, however, especially as more people read this article. Hmmmm.
So fellow Pinecliff residents, enjoy your respite until next year, but plan ahead and shop well! And to the community, we welcome you with open-arms, a full bowl of candy, a few frightful decorations and wishes for a safe and thoughtful Halloween 2010! But think about car-pooling!
Patti Bressman, a 15-year resident of Pinecliff Road, enjoys celebrating the holiday with her three sons and husband Stuart. Her haunted house has become an annual tradition, with many trick-or-treaters stopping for photos with their friends and family. This Halloween, she dispensed 30 pounds of candy.
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