Main Street News

The Pine Plains PTA is hosting their annual Boo Thru at Stissing Mountain Jr./Sr. High School on Saturday, October 28 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Boo Thru is a free outdoor walk-through event that features interactive, decorated displays that kids can visit to collect Halloween candy and other goodies. 

In addition to the displays, there will also be food trucks, an ice cream truck, a DJ dance party, pumpkin patch, games, costume contest, and costume donation table.

Drive Thru No More 

The Boo Thru is now in its fourth year, and it initially started during the COVID pandemic as a way to allow kids to have a sense of normalcy and celebrate Halloween during a time of extreme societal disruption. The PTA had previously held an annual fall festival, but like all other in-person events, it was squashed due to the pandemic. 

The first year, the Boo Thru was held as two separate events, one at Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center and one at Cold Spring Early Learning Center. The second year, the PTA combined the Boo Thru into one event that was held at Seymour Smith, and for the past two years, it has been held at Stissing Mountain Jr./Sr. High School.

Pine Plains PTA co-treasurer Ted Howley said that because of the pandemic restrictions, for the first two years, the Boo Thru was a drive-thru event. 

“Last year, we ended up revamping the whole event, so we ended up making it more of a trunk-or-treat style environment,” he said. 

A trunk or treat is an event where participants set up displays in the trunk of their car, which the kids can then visit and receive Halloween candy. 

New Additions 

They’ve also been able to make the event even bigger, with more vendors and activities. Fire trucks and ambulances make an appearance at the Boo Thru, and the PTA secured a pizza truck, hot dog cart, and ice cream truck this year to satisfy any spooky creatures that find themselves hungry during the event. The DJ will host a dance party and there will be a variety of games on the lawn. 

The costume donation table is also a new addition this year. “You can recycle your costumes, trade them for another, or just donate them. It’s a great cause for families who may not be able to afford costumes for their kids.” 

If you’re lucky, you might also be able to catch a glimpse of the Ghost of Seymour. Legend has it that the man whom Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center is named after still haunts the building, and on Halloween, he makes a special visit to the Boo Thru to spook the kids! 

Anyone interested in participating can contact Ted Howley at (845) 705-8020 or Elizabeth Coletti at (845) 416-2537.