Local SPTO Hosts Trick or Trunk in Tannersville

Article and Photos By Max Oppen

TANNERSVILLE – The annual Trick or Trunk took place in the Village of Tannersville last Friday despite the nasty weather. It was a dark and stormy night on All Hallows' Eve in the Village, with gusts of wind between 35 and 50 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Although intense rainstorms were forecast, the mountaintop was spared during the event.

The Trick or Trunk tradition began in 2014, and was originally held at the Town of Hunter Town Hall before moving to Main Street in Tannersville, according to former SPTO President Amy Maul, who was involved with the SPTO for 11 years. Since moving locations, Main Street has been closed to traffic during the event to allow local businesses to hand out treats from the decorated trunks of their vehicles. Some go all out — this year, Hunter Mountain transformed a passenger bus into a haunted one.

Maul said that Trick or Trunk was the brainchild of Donna Bates, Erika Haines, Robin Radcliffe, and Barbara Bates. “As a collective, we founded Trick or Trunk and had the first one at the Town Hall in 2014. We had it there for two years prior to coordinating with the Village and moving it to Main Street.”

Courtney Brady, current President of the Hunter-Tannersville Student Parent Teacher Organization (SPTO), said the weather affected turnout. "Turnout was decent – but it wasn't as good as last year, which was really packed," she said. Fewer trunks participated this year, but Brady added, "The turnout was still great – a lot of people came." Brady has served as SPTO president for at least two years.

Each year, more local businesses join in. "It seems to be growing," Brady said. "Businesses seem to be getting more involved every year. Last Chance Cheese had hot chocolate, and there was even cotton candy."

For the first time, the Hunter Foundation hosted a haunted house, created by Director of Operations Holly Velez with help from her husband, Joshua Lacey. "It was all his idea," Holly said, explaining that they had collected Halloween decorations for years and finally put them to use. "They did an awesome job," Brady added.

Other community members also contributed. Terrence Maul, owner of The Pantry on Main, handed out free hot dogs, and the Last Chance Antiques & Cheese Café served hot chocolate. Brady also thanked the mountaintop Stewart's for donating four ice cream sundae kits, each serving 50 people. "We didn't go through it all, but last year we did because it was much warmer," she said.

"Everyone does it for the kids – we're excited to see all the people come together," Brady said. Adults joined in too, putting effort into their costumes. The Village coordinated the street closure, but Brady noted the event relies entirely on volunteers and donations. "Each participating business with a trunk buys its own candy," she said, adding that Hannaford also donated some.

This year's promotion was simple: "All I did was put a flier up on our Facebook page," Brady said. Lisa Poole, an SPTO member, hand-delivered fliers to local businesses. Brady mentioned she couldn't get in touch with the Hunter Chamber of Commerce, saying, "There's really no central person to contact to organize these events."

David Schneider, President of the Chamber, responded, "The [Hunter] Chamber of Commerce still exists, but other initiatives and businesses have a further reach on social media than the Chamber." He added, "Members continue to meet every month and the Chamber is still here to support local businesses when they participate in events."

The Chamber's website remains active, listing 57 member businesses and providing a contact form and membership application. However, the site is outdated, as some listed businesses have since closed.

Next year, Halloween falls on a Saturday, which has some business owners concerned. Brady worries about the impact on Main Street businesses during their busiest night. One business owner, who asked to remain anonymous, said, "I think the Village should be respectful of local businesses, especially on a Friday night – weekends are our moneymakers. Next year, Halloween falls on a Saturday, which will be a huge inconvenience."

The source noted that Main Street closures limit parking and access to shops. "Visitors to the area don't know where extra parking is located due in part to either a lack of signage or teeny-tiny signs that can be easily overlooked on a busy Saturday night." Despite these concerns, they added that they appreciated the efforts of the SPTO, the Village, the community, and community businesses.

Longtime attendees Donny and Jenna VanValkenburgh have been coming to Trick or Trunk for at least 10 years. "It's our favorite holiday, and it's a time to express creativity, have fun, and celebrate," Jenna said. Donny added, "It's safe for the kids. When I grew up, we didn't have this."

This year's Trick or Trunk was the Kaatskill Mountain Club's first year participating in the event. Taylor Wojno and Andrew Alexander handed out treats to all ages. "We wanted to get out in the community more and connect with everyone," Wojno said.

Looking ahead, Brady hopes to expand the event. "Next year I'd like Trick or Trunk to be more like a festival, with local businesses giving discounts," she said. "It could be a really cool community event, and we could make it bigger and better, but it's hard to coordinate everybody."

Village Mayor Dr. Lee McGunnigle expressed gratitude to all participants but acknowledged that next year's Saturday date poses challenges. "It may serve us well next year to do this at the Upper Lake Park – there's plenty of parking and green space for activities," he said, adding that he had already shared the idea with the SPTO.