The Halloween Party

It's interesting at times to learn the different memories that different members of the same family have. One of those memories was one I had completely forgotten about but one of my sisters remembers fondly. The Halloween Party held down the road from an old farm house we were renting at the time.

Actually the party was put on by me, my best friend at the time, her younger sister, and one of their cousins the same age as the little sister. We were at the time, 12, 11, and two 9 year olds. The grandparents of the two sisters owned a huge dairy farm and including the house we lived in there were several houses and barns. Next to the sister's house was a 3 story granary that was no longer used and had fallen into great disrepair.

The four of us girls had decided we wanted to have a Halloween Party and the families were happy to help. Susie's father said we could use the granary as a club house several months before so it was natural that we would hold our party there. What better than an old run down barn for a Halloween Party.

If you're not familiar with what a granary is the simplest way to describe it is a large barn with 'rooms' where the farmer stored grain for the animals. Each grain bin was easily turned into a separate room and our club rooms were on the second floor where no one else was allowed. The party would be on the first floor. The 3rd floor was actually a basement that opened out onto the field behind and housed at the time 2 horses, one belonging to my girl friend's family and one boarder.

We planned for weeks before Halloween and all 3 families donated prizes for games, costumes, and snacks. By the time party day arrived we had it all covered. One room was for the fortune teller, me and another was for the wheel of fortune. We had an apple bobbing booth and cider and donuts in another. A fifth room housed a fishing booth where 'little kids' could throw their line over a short wall and catch a price with their hook.

There was one thing we had not thought of however but Susie's grandfather came through for us on this one. Just and hour before the party was to begin he stopped by the granary where the four of us girls were doing our final set-ups. 'Grandpa' insisted that we ride up to the main dairy barn with him. We all loaded in his car and rode the mile down the road.

When we pulled into the dairy farm Grandpa pulled up in front of the biggest barn right next to a tractor with a wagon hooked up behind it. As he was getting out of the car Susie's grandfather yelled to a couple of the farm hands telling them to go up in the hayloft. He climbed up on the tractor and proceeded to back it into the barn.

A hay ride! We were going to have a hay ride and had not even thought of it. The hands dropped several bails of hay down to the wagon and the 4 of us girls got to arrange them so there was seating on the wagon. Grandpa asked us if that was enough and when we said yes he yelled up to the 2 men to come on down. We got to ride on the wagon back to the granary with Grandpa driving the tractor leaving his car at the dairy.

We got back just in time to greet our first guests and for the next several hours our friends and family played games, had snacks, and rode on the hay wagon as much as they wanted. The four of us girls felt so very important when people started to leave and each one thanked us for all the fun and complimented us on what a good job we did.

With all the families chipping in and helping the party didn't really cost much at all. Of course we had the benefit of having the farm at our disposal but if 4 little girls can put on a great Halloween Party anyone should be able to. Ours was something my sister who was only 4 years old at the time still remembers 40 some years later.