VIENNA — Halloween descended on Vienna this past Friday, and the town was alive with eerie excitement. The crisp autumn air was filled with the rustle of leaves and the distant laughter of ghosts and ghouls, or maybe that was just the excited children racing from trunk to trunk.

At the town square, the annual trunk-or-treat transformed ordinary cars into haunted chariots, glowing with orange lights, cobwebs and spooky surprises.

Costumed witches, vampires, superheroes and even tiny Terrifying Tot Chucky babies darted between trunks, with one hand on their candy bucket at all times as they hunted for treats. Spidermen swung through the crowd while Loraxes roamed nearby, and the middle school boys basketball team paraded around town in matching jerseys and ski-masks, proving that teamwork isn’t just for the court, it’s for Halloween too.

Some trunks were miniature worlds of their own. One car was “tricked out” to look like Jurassic Park, complete with jungle vines and a dinosaur figure, drawing delighted screams and laughter from people passing by. The Westside 42 Grill added to the atmosphere with a dancing skeleton and groovy tunes, turning the square into part dance party. One group was even seen handing out snow cones instead of candy, only orange flavor, giving kids a chilly treat to enjoy between stops.

Vienna’s emergency service agencies were on hand, passing out candy and sharing smiles, while Commissioner Pat Kleffner and his wife, along with other notable local figures, made the rounds, greeting families and adding a sense of community to the festivities. The shops lining the square had decked themselves out in glowing decorations, creating an immersive Halloween village where every corner held a new surprise.

As the evening progressed, the energy of the crowd was infectious. Children squealed with delight, parents laughed and music mingled with the rustle of leaves in a perfect autumn symphony. Tiny voices echoed across the square, and even from the surrounding streets around the square. Vienna’s trunk-or-treat showed that Halloween is as much about imagination and community as it is about candy.

As the night drew to a close, families slowly made their way home or continued trick-or-treating at nearby houses, candy bags full and memories made. Older kids walked down the streets laughing and trading candy with one another, a halloween tradition if you will, and the sounds of superheroes and ghouls faded into the night.