Maribel Trunk or Treat 2024

On Saturday, the grounds around St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church were transformed into a spectacularly spooky Halloween haven for all to enjoy. That afternoon, the congregation hosted their 5th annual Trunk or Treat event featuring nearly 50 distinct "trunks" for area youngsters and their families to visit and load up on seasonal treats. The Denmark News was on the scene to learn more.

For those who do not know, Trunk or Treating is a rather recent Halloween development and consists of costumed children visiting numerous "trunks" spread across a parking lot, much like they would trick or treat on Halloween night. Many families, particularly those with younger children, prefer this safer and more controlled variation on the tradition, and such events surged in popularity in the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In Maribel, St. John Lutheran Church has been hosting a Trunk or Treat event every year since 2020 with each year's growing in both scale and participation. Saturday's event was no deviation from this trend. Organizers were benefited by an incredibly beautiful fall day with unseasonably warm temperatures in the low 70s and near ideal conditions.

On Saturday, from 2-4 p.m., one and all were welcome to come check out this year's annual spectacle. This year, organizers had relocated the various trunks from the church's parking lot to the large field of grass located immediately behind the school. The new location allowed for even more trunks as well as freed up parking in the main lot. On three sides of the large field, there were tightly packed lines of vehicles with their trunks facing the center. Each vehicle had their own theme with owners decorating them to varying degrees of elaborate to simple. Most trunks provided costumed youngsters with sweet treats while others had games for them to play for prizes. The displays were made up of area organizations and businesses, St. John parishioners and the school's classrooms.

On top of the nearly 50 trunks, Saturday's event also featured llamas from Black Frog Farms, various other animals from the local 4-H, hay rides and a chance to get an up-close look at a Maribel Fire Department fire engine. Inside the school, a Chili Cook Off was held with attendees sampling and voting for their favorite of 15 unique entered recipes. Attendees could also vote on their favorite of the school's classroom trunks.

All in all, this year's 5th annual Trunk or Treat event at St. John Lutheran Church in Maribel was a huge success with hundreds upon hundreds of costumed children and their families making their way out to the parish to enjoy a fun, free event on a beautiful fall day.