Halloween in Winooski
In one form or another, Halloween has always been a beloved tradition in Winooski. From the masquerade-themed dances at City Hall to community-led celebrations, this holiday continues to hold a special place in the hearts of our residents and visitors.
“Halloween in Winooski was a central focus in 1980 with several big party venues, including the Woolen Mill, the Black Rose, and others. I did the Photo Lounge from 1980 to 1989, creating over a thousand images. I put a sign out and invited people in to have a postcard made of their personas. By the end of the decade, some of those parties stopped, but people kept coming to the Photo Lounge! In 1989, Sneakers Bistro hosted a bar in the video cafe and with closed-circuit TV people could watch what was happening upstairs. Marvelous memories!” - Dan Higgins
Watch: Dan Higgins' Halloween Party at The Photo Lounge in Winooski (1984)
Via Town Meeting TV
One of the most important parts of celebrating Halloween in Winooski started with a resident volunteer group called Season’s Greetings. Formed in 2004 and led by Sally Tipson (lifelong Winooski resident, former Winooski City Councilor, and owner of Sally’s Flowers on Main St.), Season’s Greetings spent almost 15 years decorating Smith Park and areas around downtown Winooski with lights and features to celebrate every occasion from Easter to Christmas. Season’s Greetings also hosted community fundraisers to support local non-profits and initiatives. Most notably, Season’s Greetings created the ‘Festival of Pumpkins’ - a Halloween event that would help define Winooski’s legacy of welcoming and opportunity.
Season’s Greetings wouldn’t have been possible without their amazing volunteers, including the Maynard family (Sue, Ricky, Shelby, and Sheena), Nan Spence, Lorriane Gabbeitt, Clem & Sharon Bissonette, Chris & Paul Frenette, Diana & Peter Dion, Jane & Mike Viens, Bernie & Stephanie Fregeau, Leslie Turner, Jeff Brosseau, Irene Bowman, Marie Miller, and Linda Gelinas with the support of many residents over the years!
In the beginning, the Festival of Pumpkins started as a small operation; Season’s Greetings would load up resident trucks and vehicles at Whitcomb’s Land of Pumpkins, store them at multiple locations around Winooski, then spend the following days carving them at the VFW and later at the Winooski Senior Center. From there, the pumpkins would be moved to Smith Park where they would light up the night, all Halloween weekend.
“At first, we didn’t know exactly what we were doing. But eventually, so many of our friends, neighbors, and community leaders would help out, it took on a life of its own. The event grew little by little, year after year - it has always been something amazing to look forward to in Winooski.”
- Sally Tipson
In 2017, Season’s Greetings partnered with Winooski Recreation & Parks and Downtown Winooski to expand the tradition. The new partnership scaled up the pumpkin production to 1000 jack-o-lanterns, moved the display to Rotary Park, and featured kids’ activities, live music, downtown trick-or-treating, and so much more!
2018 marked Season’s Greetings final event, celebrating their 14-year legacy of welcoming and opportunity in Winooski. The contributions of Sally Tipson and the members of Season’s Greetings will always be remembered! Please join us in thanking them for their years of dedicated service, community building, and bringing countless smiles to the residents and visitors of Winooski. Their legacy lives on - with the torch passed to the City of Winooski and Downtown Winooski, Halloween will continue for years to come.
Join us for Halloween in Winooski 2021!
Friday, October 29 - Sunday, October 31
For full event details, visit downtownwinooski.org/halloween.
