A haunted history walk and trunk-or-treat events are among the local offerings as Halloween approaches.
The Royal River Community Players will host Stroll Haunted Yarmouth at the Old Baptist Cemetery on Hillside Street in Yarmouth. Rachel Vitello / The Forecaster
Royal River Community Players is hosting its annual afternoon and evening Stroll Haunted Yarmouth Oct. 22-24 and Oct. 29-31, when local actors dress up and tell the stories of Yarmouth residents buried at Old Baptist Cemetery on Hillside Street. The Yarmouth Historical Society collaborates with the theater group by doing research on what the lives of those buried in the cemetery were like.
“(W)e have volunteers do the writing. They take true, historical facts of the people we choose and create a story around those facts,” said Melina Roberts, a producer with the players group. “Then the actors act out those stories.”
Director Jocelyn Handy said seven stories will be told this year, including tales of a pair of philanthropists, an artisan, a Civil War veteran and a ship captain’s daughter.
The event will be Royal River Community Players’ first in-person performance since March 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s Halloween event was held virtually.
Stroll Haunted Yarmouth is appropriate for all ages and is meant to be more educational than scary, Handy said. However, she cautioned that the evening shows can be a little spookier than the daytime performances for those looking for ghost stories. Advance tickets are required through the community players’ website at royalrivercommunityplayers.com.
Elsewhere in Yarmouth, Trunk-or-Treat Spooktacular will be held from 4-6 p.m. at Yarmouth Town Hall on Oct. 29. The event includes a costume contest, games, music and prizes. To host a trunk or to be a truck or treater, see Yarmouth Community Services’ website.
A town-wide Halloween party also will be held Oct. 30 at Bickford Pavilion at Railroad Square in Yarmouth. More information will be available soon on the Yarmouth Chamber of Commerce website.
North Yarmouth’s trunk-or-treat event will held from 5-7 p.m. Oct. 30 in the North Yarmouth Community Center parking lot. The event will feature a trunk decorating contest, a costume contest, music, prizes and, of course, plenty of candy.
“I hope we have a lot of participation, both in trunks and trick-or-treaters,” said North Yarmouth Community Center Director Lisa Thompson, who is still looking for participation from community organizations.
To join trunk-or-treat, register at North Yarmouth’s website under the Wescustogo Community Center tab. Trick-or-treaters do not need to register to attend. Thompson said any businesses or nonprofits that want to sell refreshments or items at the event are welcome and should contact her directly at lthompson@northyarmouth.org or call 829-5555 for more information.
Cumberland and Falmouth are not hosting any town Halloween events this year, according to their recreation departments.
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