Halloween Festivities

Sunshine Li ‘26

As autumn settled in and October drew to a close, students felt the thrill of Halloween all around campus. With spider webs and mummy wrap making their way into each dormitory, and the buzz of last-minute creative costumes filling the air, Halloween on William’s Hill brought a special energy. It was more than just a night of trick-or-treating with Horizons students–although that was certainly a highlight for myself and many others – it was a week-long celebration where the community came together to enjoy both the playful and eerie sides of this much-loved holiday. From pumpkin carving on Keyes porch to the notorious Sixth Form haunted house, this year’s Halloween celebrations began on the weekend of October 25th and extended throughout the week with lots of on-campus activities and off-campus visits, giving us plenty of opportunities to spread seasonal spirit and fun.

My favorite Halloween festivity this year was the van trip to Lake Compounce. On a Saturday evening five days before Halloween, Mrs. Hall drove fourteen Westminster students to Bristol to experience Lake Compounce’s annual Phantom Fall Fest. And, boy, was it a blast. Forty-degree weather? Check. Four different haunted houses? Check. Scare actors decked out in elaborate costumes and makeup? Check. The world’s #1 wooden roller coaster five times? Check, check, check, and check! Avery Grey ‘26 and I caught the tail end of a queue that stretched beyond an unassuming entrance sign to the Boulder Dash ride – a wooden roller coaster that wraps around mountain terrain and boasts nearly 5000 feet of track. We shivered our timbers on thrilling rides and while waiting in the cold night. With a pretzel in one hand and a churro in the other (and two harrowing refills of free Pepsi soda), Avery and I stood in line for over an hour as darkness crept upon us: we watched our breaths cloud in the crispy air, sang a couple of songs start-to-finish, and had a very productive conversation. Needless to say, the Boulder Dash itself was a thousand percent worth the wait, and, with that, we concluded our equally wonderful and terrifying excursion. We Martlets braved the Halloween frights and chilly weather at Lake Compounce in a night I will never forget.

​As the costume contest prizes were awarded and the final spiders taken down from the staircases, Halloween at Westminster leaves behind much more than candy wrappers and jack-o-lanterns. It reminds us of the community we share, where we can laugh, scream, and celebrate together, no matter how hectic our schedules may get. For many students, Halloween here becomes a cherished memory –  a highlight of the school year, marked by creativity, camaraderie, and a touch of October magic.