Kennebunk residents are fighting to keep their Halloween tradition alive

KENNEBUNK, Maine — Several Summer Street residents hope there’s even a glimmer of a chance they can convince city officials to reverse their decision not to close the area to motorists while trick-or-treaters go door-to-door on Halloween night.

The Kennebunk Select Committee is scheduled to discuss the street’s annual tradition during its meeting on Tuesday, October 8.

For years, the city closed a long stretch of Summer Street for several hours every Halloween night so that hundreds of families could cross the street and wander around without worrying about passing cars.

However, in August the city announced that the street would remain open on October 31. In a press release, the city cited reasons related to public safety, traffic regulations and the opportunity to give other neighborhoods a chance to attract fraudsters – including doctors.

While some Summer Street residents supported the city’s decision, others are calling for it to be reversed so that the popular Halloween tradition can continue as usual.

Select committee board chairwoman Miriam Whitehouse called the issue “difficult.”

“We want to be responsive to people,” Whitehouse said of the upcoming Oct. 8 meeting. “We want to consider their request and then consider it with city employees – police, firefighters and those responsible for managing the event.”

One Summer Street couple, Julie and Chris MacClinchy, met with city officials and wrote letters asking them to close their neighborhood for a few hours on the big night.

“We are focused on making Halloween safe for everyone and continuing the unique tradition our city is famous for in our unique neighborhood,” Julie MacClinchy said Monday.

Although Summer Street will not be closed for now, trick-or-treaters will still be able to visit homes there – when crossing the street, they will only have to look both ways and take more precautions than in recent years.

“It will absolutely not be canceled,” Whitehouse said.

The tradition is extremely popular, and Summer Street residents go out of their way to decorate their homes with goblins, witches and skeletons, as well as spending hundreds of dollars to stock up on candy for the children.

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Why Kennebunk wants Summer Street to be open on Halloween

In its August press release, the city cited Summer Street’s popularity as a destination as one of the reasons for not closing the street on Oct. 31.

“Residents in other neighborhoods have noticed a decline in trick-or-treating as more people flock to Summer Street, impacting the traditional community spirit throughout the city,” the news release said.

City officials hope that by not closing Summer Street, trick-or-treaters will join other neighborhoods in their search for fun Snickers bars.

In the spirit of providing additional fun opportunities, the city and the Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce will also host a free Halloween party at the Waterhouse Center on Main Street on October 31 from 4 to 6 p.m. According to Chamber Executive Director Laura Dolce, the event will feature a DJ playing spooky tunes, face painting and trick-or-treating for local businesses, police and fire departments.

In keeping with a long-standing tradition, businesses throughout downtown Kennebunk, Lower Village and Dock Square will be handing out treats on Halloween, also from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Residents of Summer Street try to keep the tradition alive

In a letter to City Manager Heather Balser, the MacClinchs outlined their arguments for closing Summer Street on Halloween so that as many people as possible can visit the area and feel safe. They described Summer Street as a special part of town – a place that fits in well with this spookiest of holidays.

“The street is filled with grand, historic houses that evoke a mystical atmosphere and intrigue,” they said. “The history of the houses says that several of them had well-known ghost stories told in the Walk of Souls hosted by the Brick Store Museum in the days leading up to Halloween.”

The couple said closing Summer Street on Halloween night in recent years has created a safe space for families.

“The city’s decision to close the street created an extremely safe space for families who could enjoy coming to one place, socializing, looking at the decorations and costumes, and seeing each other – without the worries and concerns of traffic with drivers distracted by the same activities.” – they said.

In their letter, the MacClinchs also rejected the city’s reasons for keeping Summer Street open. They disputed the city’s statement in a press release that new homeowners in the area were not as eager to take part in the annual tradition.

“In fact, the opposite is true,” they said. “More homeowners are actively participating in the event across much of the street than 10 years ago.”

The MacClinchs also addressed the city’s mention of the significant tradition costs to Summer Street homeowners as they decorate their homes with elaborate displays and buy all that candy.

“We are certainly all individually contributing significantly to this event,” she said. “But this is something we give back to the community and we give back with smiles, guessing Halloween costumes and seeing the admiration of the children and adults who come to see us. That’s part of the fun of living on Summer Street. “Homeowners don’t have to participate, and some just turn off the lights.”

The MacClinchs also disputed the city’s claim that the state of Maine has imposed stricter state road closure regulations. Summer Street is one such road, considering it is part of Route 35.

The MacClinchy family said they contacted a Maine Department of Transportation official who said state road closure regulations have not changed since 2015. On Tuesday, Paul Merrill, a spokesman for the Maine Department of Transportation, confirmed that claim.

“We haven’t changed our street closure policy in years,” Merrill said.

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Will the Kennebunk selection committee reverse Summer Street’s decision?

Although the trick-or-treating tradition on Summer Street is not an official city event, the MacClinchy family said the city should adopt it anyway.

“It has generated a lot of positive press and goodwill for the city over the years,” they said. “This is truly a unique event that cannot be replicated by any other community.”

Whitehouse said that no matter what happens with Summer Street this Halloween, someone will have to file a special event application with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department next year if the tradition is to continue.

This will provide insurance in case someone is injured or worse while trick-or-treating on Summer Street.

“There will have to be a special event,” Whitehouse said.

This article originally appeared in the Portsmouth Herald: Kennebunk residents are fighting to keep their Halloween tradition alive