Image: (Left) Selfie by Andrea Hindman, owner of Boutique 1692 in Manistee. (Right) Co-editor Mark Videan reads the Freshwater Reporter while waiting for the Great Pumpkin in a Mason County pumpkin patch.
By Vonnie Sage
Goblins and monsters and ghosts…oh my! Halloween, Samhain and Dia de los Muertos…oh yeah! We’re creeping toward one of the most treat-and-treasure-filled days of my favorite season.
Why our fascination with the eerie, the macabre, the gruesome, the weird? We’re spellbound about death and the beyond. Something about autumn brings out our desire to be scared witless as we brave the transition from summer to winter, light to dark.
Sure, let’s walk into an old house, a ship or a maze knowing that they’re full of creatures who will jump out at us, infest our brains with images of blood and gore, get our hearts pounding and make us want to run for our lives. Totally makes sense. If that’s not quite enough, let’s go to a theater or gather around the TV to watch someone’s conception of entertainment: a chilling horror movie. (Editor’s note: We recommend the 2025 comic fantasy horror film, “Dust Bunny” released last year.) The whites of our eyes grow while we crunch on popcorn so loudly it may as well be dry bones. Or let’s stick our hands into bowls to decide if that mushy, wiggly or gooey feeling could be spaghetti, chunky gelatin or brain matter.
For thousands of years, cultures around the world have celebrated death, embracing it as integral to life, believing that during late October to early November the lines between our living world and the world of the dead blur, allowing spirits to roam the earth. This spiritual aspect is something Mari Wright, owner of Divinely Mari Rose in Manistee, told me she appreciates.
During Samhain (sah-win), people wore masks and costumes to avoid being recognized by wandering ghosts. The Celts enjoyed feasts and dancing around bonfires, something Andrea Hindman, who owns Boutique 1692 in Manistee, describes as “nature’s biggest candle.” Respecting the departed may involve leaving out favorite foods, water and beloved items or tools to aid their travels while also honoring their lives with photos and flowers (Dia de los Muertos).
Food, parties and costumes are modern vestiges of age-old customs. Maple, sweet corn and apple pie tamales are foods that Tarrah Hernandez, owner of Taco ‘Bout It in Manistee, enjoys. Andrea embraces the symbolism of baking apple pie, a sign of abundance. Getting together with friends and having potlucks is Mariah Dunagua’s favorite aspect of the season. Mariah, owner of Deva by Cammy in Manistee, appreciates the “hearth experience when it’s cold outside.”
Halloween allows people of all ages to dress up and become someone or something else. Brian Winter, owner of Manistee Tree Nursery, recalled how his older child dressed in a scarecrow costume to spook people, while his younger daughter dressed as a pensive honeybee. Tarrah shared that as a kid she celebrated Halloween by dressing as a raccoon. Three years ago, she dressed up in a sugar skulls costume. As a child, Andrea made her own costume: a tube of toothpaste.
Mariah remembers her mother making Halloween costumes for her, until Mariah wanted a complicated garment. Making her own costume played a huge part in getting her into sewing. Dannee Hoffman, who works at Miller’s Modern Market in Manistee, also remembers her mother sewing most of her school clothes and Halloween costumes. One of her favorite Mom-made costume sets was Raggedy Ann and Andy, complete with red yarn wigs. Mari was quite proud of her purple rain costume last year, which she described as probably too conceptual; she spent a lot of time explaining the ruffled white shirt, purple corset and witch hat dripping purple raindrops.
The folks I interviewed had many suggestions for local events and activities. Brian enjoys drinking cider at Lewis Farms in Hart. Haunted Acres, in New Era, is a place Dannee recommended checking out. Mariah especially enjoys the corn pit and squash bowling at Calvin Lutz Farms’ Whoville. Tarrah relishes the Manistee Elks’ Boos, Brews, and Brats. Mari and Andrea enjoy driving around the area, appreciating the gorgeous views and stopping at farm stands for fresh produce.
I love soaking in the crisp fall air, getting lost in corn mazes and spending time with friends. If you tried to take me through a haunted house, though, I’d have to apologize in advance to the innocent costumed creepies I’d be flailing at with all my appendages, like the Looney Tunes’ Tasmanian Devil.
What are your favorite costumes and memories associated with Halloween, Samhain and/or Dia de los Muertos? Is there a haunt you like to visit? How about exploring the many businesses and events in our area, celebrating our cool community vibes and the wonderful people who live here?
Learn more about these fall observances at: https://www.britannica.com/ topic/ halloween and https://www.history.com/articles/day-of-the-dead and https://www.worldhistory.org/Samhain.
Vonni Sage is a creative writer, avid reader, educator and nature lover. When she’s not playing in the mud, she might be found wandering the streets or beaches with a far-off gaze as she adventures in the new worlds she’s creating in her head.
