Halloween Memories

Fall is always a fun time of year. The leaves are changing color and the air is crisp outside. It’s the perfect time to gather around with family for spiced cider and pumpkin pie. And of course to watch football AND the World Series!!

I also love fall because of Halloween. I have so many wonderful memories of trick-or-treating with my little sister in the streets near my house. When I was about 8 years old, I was a bit of a goofy kid. My hair was always a mess and I had dirt stains on my clothes from playing outside all the time. While most girls were playing with Barbies, I was climbing trees outdoors and coming up with imaginary games which involved saving the world. Halloween, though, was time to play dress up and a time to transform into something beautiful. One of my favorite Halloween costumes was when I was a mermaid. I wore a long blond wig with flowing hair and put on red lipstick for the first time. I wore a shimmery outfit with green sequins for the scales, and clear high heels for my feet. I enjoyed going around to the neighbors and collecting as much candy as possible!!

Everyone has their own unique memories from Halloween. I asked a couple of the other Broncos Cheerleaders to tell me about their special Halloween memory. Here’s what they said:

“My favorite thing about Halloween has always been my family’s tradition to feast on my mom’s homemade chili and hot cider after a chilly evening of trick-or-treating. Today, the members of my family live in different cities but we keep the tradition alive by each making our own version of mom’s chili on Halloween night. My husband and I have started our own annual tradition of sharing my family’s special Halloween chili with a great group of friends while passing out candy to trick-or-treaters.” — Shelby Britton

“Last year I was searching for a silly costume that no one else would duplicate. So I went to a vintage shop up in Boulder and found the perfect prom dress from the ’80s. I accompanied it with a tiara, some leggings, and high top shoes and the perfect ’80s prom queen outfit was born!! I’ve always loved dressing up for halloween! I’ve been everything from a big pumpkin to a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle to the Joker from the Batman movies!” — Romi Bean

“When I was little I used to love skunks. I didn’t understand the whole concept of growing up, and when I was little I would tell my parents that I wanted to be a skunk when I was older. When Halloween rolled around, a skunk was the number one choice for me! I wore a little black outfit with a hood, tail, and that long white stripe from top to bottom. But, I also couldn’t pronounce the word correctly at that age, so I kept telling everyone that I was a ’stunk’ instead of a ’skunk’!” — Katie Layman

“My favorite memories from Halloween are from when I was younger. My mom, sister and I always dressed up, took pictures, and went trick-or-treating for the evening. It was also fun to hand out candy to the trick-or-treaters who came to our door. It was such an exciting time of year! It was so special to always be able to celebrate this holiday together, and even today I look back warmly on these fond memories!” — Jamie Dukehart-Conti

“The church I grew up in would always host an alternative Halloween celebration for kids in the community. The carnival-like atmosphere included lots of games, booths, and food. In high school, I volunteered to work at game booths a couple of times. It was so much fun - all of the little kids were dressed up in the cutest costumes (no scary costumes were allowed.) I would always use my dance outfits as last-minute costumes. One year I wore a tutu and my pointe shoes and kids and their parents alike would be amazed that I could stand on my tip-toes!” — Valerie Scott

- Laura (10/28/2007)