OLD ORCHARD BEACH, Maine — Ghouls and goblins will soon be out and about searching for candy on what is expected to be a beautiful Halloween in Maine.
Besides local trick-or-treating, costume parties, and bar crawls, towns and cities across the state are gearing up for big celebrations.
The Old Orchard Beach Fire Department has built quite the annual tradition where more than 500 kids head to the station to fill their pillowcases or buckets with plenty of candy.
This year, town officials wanted to take the party up a notch.
Recreation Director Jason Webber said there will be two locations for the holiday celebration. From 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., kids and families can go to the fire station and the ballpark down the road to get candy, check out bouncy houses, partake in a dance party, and other activities.
Webber said each town department will have representation at the event, so it's also a chance for the adults to meet town officials, first responders, and to connect with their neighbors.
Portland will also have plenty of events happening on Thursday. For kids under the age of four, the Children's Museum & Theater of Maine will have a "Hoot & Howl" event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For older Mainers, there are a few bars and restaurants hosting costume parties on Halloween night.
Of course, you can't talk about a Maine Halloween without talking about Maple Street in Bangor, locally known as "Halloween Street." In years past, roughly one thousand kids from as far away as Bucksport and Millinocket grab their candy from impressively decorated houses.
The city will close the street for trick-or-treating, so it will be a safe spot for parents to bring their kids Thursday night.
Betsy Lundy is the executive director for Downtown Bangor and said there will be "trunk-or-treat" events and some local nursing homes will open their doors for kids to get candy and interact with the residents. Like Portland, plenty of bars and restaurants will host their own festivities. You can find those details here.
"I think that we have a really great community here and people recognize the collaborative power, people don’t see themselves as competing against the business or the experience next door, they see these [events] as building blocks," Lundy added.
In Brunswick, the town's Halloween parade will begin at 5 p.m. and another trick-or-treating event will happen at the town mall.
Further up the Midcoast, the Great Salt Bay Community School will have a trunk or treat event hosted by the Damariscotta Police Department and Central Lincoln County YMCA.
If you want to find a community event happening closer to you, its recommended to check in with your town or city, or explore Facebook to find fun holiday activities closest to you.
While Halloween is a fun time for Mainers of all ages, town officials want to remind everyone to be safe.