If someone asked you to name the spookiest town in America, you might come up with a place like Salem or New Orleans. You probably wouldn’t think to check the Midwest.
Anoka, Minnesota is a town that’s situated about 20 miles north of Minneapolis. It has a population of around 20,000 people, and for most of the year, you’d never know it is one of the most Halloween-centric towns in the country. In fact, Congress once designated Anoka as the Halloween Capital of the World.
During the month of October, Anoka transforms into spook city. You can see jack-o-lanterns, corn stalks, and creepy decor wherever you go. Even City Hall joins in the fun and outfits itself with a giant, flashing, rooftop pumpkin. The town offers buttons that allow entrance into a Halloween medallion hunt and even garners discounts at local shops during October.
Why is Anoka so into Halloween? It turns out that this small town was the first place in the nation to hold an official Halloween celebration. In 1920, Anoka held a Halloween party that included a bonfire, parade, and plenty of candy and popcorn. The festivities were actually planned as an effort to stop the high amount of vandalism and pranks that plagued the city on the holiday each year.
Anoka reprised its Halloween celebration each year following. Now, the party has been transformed into a month-long festival with three parades and more than 30 events, including pumpkin weighing, pet costume contests, and wine tastings. In fact, the town has an official Halloween committee that meets year-round to discuss all things spooky and plan the annual festival.
In 2017, the town celebrated 100 years of Halloween domination by painting a permanent jack-o-lantern onto a roundabout. It’s a tribute to a truly festive town with a longtime love affair with the spookiest day of the year.
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