Our Mesta Park neighborhood gets REALLY into Halloween. We’re talking a full-sized zombie graveyard two doors from our house, an interactive Frankenstein lab down the street in the doctor’s window (complete with a skeleton popping out of a coffin to scare people as they walk down the steps to leave), and over 3,000 trick-or-treaters. Everyone decorates their houses and it all feels like a scene out of Gilmore Girls, whose main characters were our first duo costume at our very first Mesta Halloween! (True fans will be able to see the pic below and name the episode.)
This is our 5th Halloween in Mesta Park and it’s become a rather beloved tradition for us. We love walking around seeing all the decorations go up, anticipating what crazy new element the neighbors’ on the corner will add, and talking to the family a few doors down about the awesome dance party they’ll have on their lawn.
Every year we dress our house in a Harry Potter theme in which the details always fluctuate, depending on how far ahead we plan, but rest assured each year will be made complete with a Moaning Myrtle loop playing on the laptop hidden in the shower. We make a couple pots of hearty chili and throw together a feast on the big dining room table. It is always a mix of slightly ambitious treats (such as the sorting hat from Harry Potter made out of pita bread) and Trader Joe’s goodies laid out nicely on a platter. Our lazy dog finds a lap and seems completely oblivious to all the commotion going on around her.
We invite everyone we know with the one condition that they bring a bag of candy. If they arrive without candy, we kindly direct them to the Homeland three blocks down. We start buying candy in the summer, but have a much-needed “No going broke from buying Halloween candy” rule. Although there are little pockets of places to settle inside our small house, the real entertainment happens on the porch where we have front-row seats to the thousands of trick or-treaters. Although we are both amiable gals, we do hold to a STRICT one candy per child rule...unless of course you really dazzle us. Last year, the cutest little fairy approached the front porch, reached into her satchel and threw glitter up in the air. That, my friends, is a 2 candy costume. Even with all of that, we still run out candy every year. A couple of years ago, we even resorted to passing out the remaining carrots and celery from the veggie tray, which was hilarious on multiple levels. The first being that we were passing out vegetables instead of candy and the second being that some kids actually took them while parents yelled “Thank you!” from the sidewalk.
We always end the night buzzing with that warm feeling that comes after you’ve filled your entire house with friends on a chilly night. The next few weeks, the streets are full of candy wrappers and the occasional untorn wrapped piece of candy which feels like a real “jackpot!” kind of moment. We fell in love with our neighborhood because of the big trees and all the charm of being able to ride your bike to downtown, but we did not know how much we would fall in love with all the little traditions that have sprung up through the years. We love Halloween in our neighborhood and don’t know what we will do if we ever move!
How are you celebrating this crazy holiday? Want to come over?
Meet The Authors!
Makenzie Magnus graduated from Wheaton College where she majored in Christian Ministry, Urban Studies, and Photography. Somehow, she has managed to apply all of her degrees to work in the real world! She has a passion for community development after years working in urban ministry in Chicago, non-profits in Austin, and working on staff at CRBC the past 7 years. As CRBC’s Minister of Missions, Makenzie loves equipping and serving the church by cultivating both local and global partnerships. Despite loving the adventures that come with serving as the missions minister, she is quite the homebody. She is an avid Harry Potter fan who loves Oklahoma City, as well as being with her friends, family, and ADORABLE weenie dog, May.
Malorie Magnus recently transitioned out of her job as an Adoption Specialist to return to school as a full-time student (now accepting baby/house/pet-sitting opportunities!). She is currently pursuing her Masters of Social Work degree at the University of Oklahoma, where she also works as a Research Assistant in the Center for Child Welfare Training and Simulation. Along with living with her sister and little pup, some of her favorite things include: a themed party, clever abbrevs (abbreviations), and spending time with friends and fam…most likely laughing.