Funny, until this very moment, I have always thought that the title to the old Bob Hope/Shirley Ross song was “Thanks for the Memories” (plural), but I’ve recently learned that, I was (wait…what?) mistaken. Some of you likely know of the little ditty that I’m talking about…

Thanks for the memory

Of Schubert’s “Serenade”—little things of jade

And traffic jams and anagrams

And bills we never paid…

I bet those folks who do know of what I speak are humming right now (you’re welcome!)—and for those who don’t—that’s what the Google is for. Having just now looked online, it would appear that I’ve been wrong about the title for a long, long time. Makes no never mind, but the tune popped into my head last weekend as I was out and about, taking pics of kids, adults and dogs frolicking in costumes while attending the annual Barryville Farmers’ Market Halloween Hoopla that has become a community staple in a few short years. 

I have loads of Halloween memories (plural) to call upon, as I grew up during the “Wonder Years,” when parents didn’t think twice about sending their little ones out into the night armed with nothing but a pillow case for candy and a warning to “behave, stick with your friends and don’t even think about soaping the neighbor’s windows.”

Slyly hiding the bar of Ivory under our homemade costumes, we would nod and wave, knowing that mischief was afoot, because, well…it was Halloween.

One of the many things I love about life in the Upper Delaware is that kids still have a chance to be kids, and that there are times when they put down their tablets and cell phones, don a Freddy Krueger mask or slip into a handmade Little Mermaid fin and hit the streets, old-school style. 

“Ahh, just like yesteryear, girl,” I whispered to the dog, as I steered her stroller (don’t judge!) into the crowd, stopping to listen to live music provided by New Jersey’s Jeiris Cook Band (gosh, they’re good!) and get the lay of the land, under a canopy of leaves still sporting gorgeous autumnal orange-and-gold hues as the sun shone brightly, illuminating the festivities.

As costumed revelers (and dogs, don’t forget the dogs!) arrived in droves, I took note that the market vendors understood the assignment, having decorated their stalls along with some food trucks lining the road, and the autos that awaited just out of sight, readying to participate in the requisite “trunk or treat” that has come to be synonymous with modern-day All Hallows’ Eve, since running loose in the streets after dark has become less in favor than in days of yore.

Before you send corrections, I am happily aware that there has been a revival of trick-or-treating door to door here in the Catskills, which warms my heart. In fact, it never really went away in some small towns. Clapping with childlike glee, I proceeded to take photo after photo of the clever, adorable, sometimes intricate, sometimes simple and often homemade costumes that sparked the aforementioned memories (plural) flooding my thoughts. 

Rather than drone on and on about my childhood, which mostly took place in a cave (where I was forced to do my homework by firelight), I’ll post some photos here, more on our Instagram (@theriverreporter) and even more on the Facebook, as Mom would say. From there you can like, tag and share, so have at it—I know some of you are already planning what you’ll be wearing next year, and I for one, can’t wait to see the results. 

Up next: Gobble, gobble. Yep…time flies, even if turkeys don’t.

Fun Fact: Zoltar is a classic fortune-telling machine often found at amusement parks, fairs and carnivals. It features a life-sized animatronic figure of a mysterious-looking man dressed in traditional clothing. Users approach the machine and insert a coin or token to receive a personalized fortune card.