The time of year has returned once more, creeping up upon us and appearing out of nowhere like ghosts who roamed Fremd’s hallways on the evening of Oct. 30 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm. These “ghosts,” however, were obviously not actually ghosts; they were the local children who came to Fremd to participate in a night of fun activities planned by Student Council.

Students ages 12 and under were dressed up in costumes spanning from cows to NASA astronauts to Mario Kart characters. They traveled from classroom to classroom, engaging in a variety of activities Fremd’s extracurricular clubs planned, including face-painting, musical chairs, and watching science experiments.

Halloween Fest provides a safe place for children to trick-or-treat while also avoiding the cold. This particularly applies for this year, as the weather decided to dress up as January for Halloween, and trick-or-treating out in the snow wouldn’t be the best idea for young children.

For three years now, Fremd has been a proud supporter of the Teal Pumpkin Project, a program which emphasizes the importance of providing allergy friendly alternatives. The project advocates for the awareness of food allergies and supports the inclusion of all children during the Halloween season. Including allergy-friendly prizes for children began just one year after the Fremd Student Council took over managing the Halloween Festival in 2012.

World language teacher and Student Council advisor Ashley Soriano, who’s been a part of this Fremd Halloween tradition for 10 years, recollects one of her most notable memories.

“My first year of teaching and participating in Student Council, I wore a huge inflatable Sumo Wrestling Baby costume,” Soriano said. “It was hot in that costume, and it was difficult to navigate around because I was so large. Everyone loved my costume, but I decided that it was a little easier to walk around wearing Student Council apparel, which is what I now wear.”

Making sweet memories of their trick or treating days is definitely a pro of hosting Halloween Fest, but giving back to the community is also a highlight of this Student Council event. The Fremd Student Council does so by collecting non-perishables, such as canned fruit, for the Palatine Food Pantry.

Not only do Fremd students give back to the community that has supported them for the longest time, but they also get to interact with younger children, celebrating Halloween festivities. Seeing the children run around to get candy probably brings back many vivid memories for high schoolers of the days when homework and grades didn’t plague them. Fortunately, Halloween Fest advocates for Fremd students to take some time off and to just celebrate an exciting holiday.

For Soriano, Halloween is more than just candy and costumes, as Halloween Fest serves a greater purpose for the community.

“My favorite parts are seeing so many groups in our school participating in this event, having such a big variety of activities provided to our community members, the happiness throughout the school on the night of the event, and the fact that we give back to the community by collecting non-perishables for the Palatine Food Pantry,” Soriano states. “It’s such a unique event, and I am proud of Student Council for putting it on each year.”