(Nov. 3, 2016) While residents on Washington Street in Berlin were gearing up for the expected crowd of thousands of trick or treaters, several businesses on Main Street also were getting into the act, handing out candy and, in one case, previewing many more treats to come.
For Cam Bunting, setting up frightfully good decorations at her Bunting Real Estate office on 24 Broad Street has become an annual tradition.
“We’ve always had people that have come and trick or treated at the office, so we just started to decorate more and more each year,” she said. “We have ghosts that go out of the window, we have a peeper that taps at the window, and we have a witch, which we were going to put on a name on for one of the political [candidates], but we decided that wasn’t politically correct,” she said.
Outdoor office decorations also included animatronic hands, realistic zombies coming out of the ground and shrieking ghouls, bats and other horrific things popping out of the bushes.
“Each year we just add more and more,” she said. “It’s taken us a whole day to decorate.”
She estimated about 500 kids stop by the office each year during Halloween, and said she has to special order several five-pound bags to accommodate the crowds.
“We’ll be doing Lifesavers and mints by the end of the night,” she said with a laugh.
Bunting dressed up as an official “candy taster.”
“It’s just fun with all the kids coming, and trying to scare them to death,” she said. “They love the hand. Some of them are afraid to come up to us because we’re scaring them, and older ones are blasé.”
Bunting speculated that the crowds were particularly large in Berlin because Ocean Pines does not participate in trick or treating, and because residents of nearby towns in Delaware make the drive down each year, adding to the massive overall population.
“It’s really because we all do these kind of things – we dress up the place,” she said.
Around the corner at Bruder Hill, on 25 Commerce Street, owner Shelly Bruder said she decided to stay open for the first time this Halloween. She was also expecting about 500 kids.
“We’re actually having a book club come [to the store], so we’re staying open and giving out candy,” she said. “We’re excited.”
Berlin Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Larnet St. Amant, who also works at Bruder, joked that the shop would stay open because “our kids are older now and don’t need us.”
“And we’re here for the book club, so we figured we might as well,” Bruder added.
“Halloween here is so great because everybody participates, from businesses to individuals,” Amant said. “Everybody wants to be a part of it.”
Bruder said Washington Street, in particular, was the epicenter, “because it’s the party houses down there.”
“Washington Street, man. I want to live there,” she said.
“Me too!” Amant added.
Elsewhere on Main Street, Kelly Conklin set up ice cream samples outside of the site of his new location for the Island Creamery, on 120 North Main Street.
“We just want people to know we’re coming and that we’re glad to be here and we want to be a part of the town,” he said. “We’ve always given away ice cream to trick or treaters, so we thought we’d do the same thing here. Since we can’t be inside yet, we just brought our cart, and we’ll pop up and if anybody shows up they’ll show up.”
The store could be officially open for business as soon as December.
For Cam Bunting, setting up frightfully good decorations at her Bunting Real Estate office on 24 Broad Street has become an annual tradition.
“We’ve always had people that have come and trick or treated at the office, so we just started to decorate more and more each year,” she said. “We have ghosts that go out of the window, we have a peeper that taps at the window, and we have a witch, which we were going to put on a name on for one of the political [candidates], but we decided that wasn’t politically correct,” she said.
Outdoor office decorations also included animatronic hands, realistic zombies coming out of the ground and shrieking ghouls, bats and other horrific things popping out of the bushes.
“Each year we just add more and more,” she said. “It’s taken us a whole day to decorate.”
She estimated about 500 kids stop by the office each year during Halloween, and said she has to special order several five-pound bags to accommodate the crowds.
“We’ll be doing Lifesavers and mints by the end of the night,” she said with a laugh.
Bunting dressed up as an official “candy taster.”
“It’s just fun with all the kids coming, and trying to scare them to death,” she said. “They love the hand. Some of them are afraid to come up to us because we’re scaring them, and older ones are blasé.”
Bunting speculated that the crowds were particularly large in Berlin because Ocean Pines does not participate in trick or treating, and because residents of nearby towns in Delaware make the drive down each year, adding to the massive overall population.
“It’s really because we all do these kind of things – we dress up the place,” she said.
Around the corner at Bruder Hill, on 25 Commerce Street, owner Shelly Bruder said she decided to stay open for the first time this Halloween. She was also expecting about 500 kids.
“We’re actually having a book club come [to the store], so we’re staying open and giving out candy,” she said. “We’re excited.”
Berlin Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Larnet St. Amant, who also works at Bruder, joked that the shop would stay open because “our kids are older now and don’t need us.”
“And we’re here for the book club, so we figured we might as well,” Bruder added.
“Halloween here is so great because everybody participates, from businesses to individuals,” Amant said. “Everybody wants to be a part of it.”
Bruder said Washington Street, in particular, was the epicenter, “because it’s the party houses down there.”
“Washington Street, man. I want to live there,” she said.
“Me too!” Amant added.
Elsewhere on Main Street, Kelly Conklin set up ice cream samples outside of the site of his new location for the Island Creamery, on 120 North Main Street.
“We just want people to know we’re coming and that we’re glad to be here and we want to be a part of the town,” he said. “We’ve always given away ice cream to trick or treaters, so we thought we’d do the same thing here. Since we can’t be inside yet, we just brought our cart, and we’ll pop up and if anybody shows up they’ll show up.”
The store could be officially open for business as soon as December.