T-R FILE PHOTO — Marshalltown yards decorated for Halloween, such as this one from 2020, will wait for children to arrive for trick or treating on Beggar’s Night Oct. 28.

Witch way to the events and candy?

After quieter years thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous Halloween events are scheduled for Marshalltown and Marshall County this year.

New this year is Beggar’s Night on Oct. 28. The Marshalltown City Council determined trick or treating in the town would officially occur on the last Saturday of October. Doing that will allow children to participate in the other scheduled Halloween events. It will also give people staying at home a chance to see lively (or scary) dressed children and ghouls and give them Halloween candy during trick or treating.

Councilman Mike Ladehoff said the discussion of Beggar’s Night began in the spring of this year. Before, he said the mayor declared when trick or treating, or Beggar’s Night, would occur.

“I had read an article about another town declaring their Beggar’s Night as the last Saturday of October every year,” he said. “I thought that was odd, so I looked at it and it apparently got overwhelming support to do that.”

Thus began Ladehoff’s research into the pros and cons of a Marshalltown Beggar’s Night.

“There are all kinds of good reasons why you should do this,” he said.

The best reason, Ladehoff said, is that the community is brought together. After the COVID-19 pandemic, derecho and tornado, he said Beggar’s Night would help make community togetherness easier.

“People getting out into the community, seeing other people, get kids out in the neighborhood again,” Ladehoff said. “Because times have changed, whether its families’ work schedules or because of the advent of trunk or treats, there hardly seems to be any kids out trick or treating anymore.”

The second advantage is it helps the senior citizens of Marshalltown.

“They really like to see trick or treaters and outfits,” he said.

Aiding parents is another “fang-tastic” benefit Ladehoff found to declare a Beggar’s Night. Being a parent himself, he knows the struggle of getting home from work, getting the kids ready and out the door for trick or treating. By having it on Saturday, there is also a better chance for the parents who work later shifts to participate with their children.

Another pro for the Saturday Beggar’s Night actually benefits teachers. Ladehoff said children will not go to school the next day with sugar rushes.

“It allows for kids to be able to focus on their school work and not just be on a sugar high or they didn’t hardly sleep because they were so buzzed up,” he said.

Ladehoff said there are also benefits for activities after trick or treating. It allows for children to go to the Halloween parties, and makes it easier to plan such events.

With this being the first year for Beggar’s Night, Ladehoff looks forward to how the community will respond. There might be some tweaks made in the future, he said.

In response to criticisms of trick or treating moved to another night, Ladehoff said this is no longer 1970. In most households today, both parents work full-time jobs and a lot of those work second shifts. Ladehoff said people have also complained about the city not declaring enough hours for Beggar’s Night, which is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“If you can’t fill up your bag in two hours, how good of a trick or treater really are you?” he asked, laughing. “Overall, I’ve had quite a few compliments on it. Parents seem to be very appreciative of it. Anytime anything has changed, there are always some hiccups.”

Knowing trunk or treats are popular in Marshalltown, Ladehoff said they requested those events be held on different nights. He believes trunk or treat certainly has its place in Marshalltown, and gives children a chance to use their “boo-tiful” costumes more than once.

“We can’t make them not have it, but just understand we can do both, but just pick a different night,” he said.

Many of the trunk or treats have done so. Journey Church will hold their trunk or treat on the same night – Oct. 28. Journey trunk or treat organizer Mike Vinson said the date for the trunk or treat had been determined for a long time.

“We wanted to have it on Saturday because it’s not a regular work night,” he said.

Ladehoff said he knows many of the good people who go to Journey Church and added they were probably not aware of the city request. He added the city did not send out notices of the request, and did not have a list of different scheduled Halloween events in the area.

“Had they known, I am sure they would have scheduled it a different night,” he said. “Perhaps next year, we will be more in tune with each other.”

When asked if the Journey trunk or treat is usually held on the Saturday before Halloween, Vinson said historically they have been held on different nights of the week.

Ladehoff said overall, he thinks Beggar’s Night and the Journey Trunk or Treat will both go well. He asked for the church not to get grief over it.

“We’re all good people in this community,” he said. “If there is some issue I can help with, I am certainly willing to do that.”

HALLOWEEN EVENTS

Oct. 25

Marshalltown Public Library Trick or Treat and storytime, 105 W. Boone St., 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Melbourne Public Library Halloween party, 603 Main St., Melbourne, 6 p.m.

Glenwood Place Trunk or Treat, 2907 S. Seventh St., 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Accura Healthcare Trick or Treat, 2401 S. Second St., 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Oct. 26

Marshalltown Central Business District Haunt the Block, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Marshalltown Community College Pumpkin Jamboree, 3700 S. Center St., 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Albion Library Halloween trivia, 400 N. Main St., Albion, 6:30 p.m.

Elim Children’s Center Trunk or Treat, 302 W. Church St., 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Oct. 27

Primary Health Care, Full Tilt Motorcycle and Hometown Veterinarian Trunk or Treat, 101 Iowa Ave. W., 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Green Mountain Beggar’s Night, 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Gladbrook Theatre will show “Hocus Pocus,” 319 Second St., Gladbrook Oct. 27 to Oct. 29

Oct. 28

Marshalltown Trick or Treating — Beggar’s Night — 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Gutekunst Public Library Merry Monster Party (all ages), 309 Second St. SE State Center, 10 a.m.

Marshalltown Booze and Ghouls Bar Crawl. Lunch and entry starts at the Flying Elbow, 229 N. 13th St., at noon. Stops will include The Spot, Old Timer Tavern, Vaughn’s Pub, Dave & Sally’s, TC’s Pub and The 918/Fiddle & Whistle. Bar crawl begins at 1 p.m.

Journey Church Trunk or Treat, 700 E. Olive St., 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Albion Library party, 6:30 p.m.

Albion Trick or Treat, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

McCallsburg Trick or Treat, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Gilman Trick or Treat, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Big House Ministries Fall Party, 110 N. Second St., 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Laurel Trick or Treat, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Oct. 29

Southridge Specialty Care Trick or Treat, 309 W. Merle Hibbs Blvd., 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Gladbrook Young Women’s Party at City Center, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Clemons Trick or Treat, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

St. Anthony Trick or Treat, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Zearing Trick or Treat, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Hope United Methodist, 2203 S. Third Ave., Chili Supper 5:15 p.m., followed by Trunk or Treat at 6 p.m.

Oct. 30

Wayward Social Boo Bash, 1101 S. Sixth St., 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Animal Rescue League Haunted Shelter of Marshall County, 1921 Taylor Ave., 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Pilgrim Heights Camp and Retreat Center Trunk or Treat, 3005 E. Ave., Montour, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Oct. 31

Marshalltown High School Student Senate Trunk or Treat, 1602 S. Second Ave., 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Marshalltown Police/Fire Trunk or Treat, 909 S. Second St., 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

First Rate Real Estate Trunk or Treat, 1610 S. Center St., 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Burger King Trunk or Treat, 2605 S. Center St., 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Rhodes Memorial Park Shelter Halloweenies, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Colo Trick or Treat, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Melbourne Trick or Treat, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Rhodes Trick or Treat, 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

State Center Trick or Treat, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Halloween in Gladbrook, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Tarot readings by Lucky Rabbit Tarot And Oracle Advisory, 209 N 13th St., lower level, 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Sara Jordan-Heintz also contributed information to this story.

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Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.