Creepin’ It Real on Halloween

Photo by Léo Azambuja

By Léo Azambuja

Oh, the irony! On the scariest day of the year, the children had absolutely no fear. It was them who walked around Kaunakakai spreading terror. Grownup witches better have their candy. Or something wicked may come their way. 

Perhaps in a foolish attempt to stave off panic and chaos, or maybe just to offer the kids a free event that was a skele-ton of fun, the Friends of Molokai Public Library revived the popular Halloween Costume Contest on the lawn in front of the library Oct 31.

“The Lions Club used to have the costume contest every year, but once we had COVID, they stopped,” FOL president Joan Howard said. “We just decided we should start it up again to see if there is any interest. So yes, there is interest. Next year we’ll do more.”

About 100 people between grownups and keiki showed up for the contest. Everyone looked all boo’ed up and spooktacular, competing in four different categories: Funniest, Scariest, Cutest and Most Creative. 

Pellin Morawski, the ghostess with the mostess, emceed the contest, which was judged by four people. Everyone who signed up for the contest received a goodie bag.

Each category had two age divisions: kids up to 12 years old, and 13 years old and up. Each winner took a gold skeleton trophy home. But because the kids in the “Cutest” category were just too cute to spook anyone, besides the cutest pumpkin in the patch, the second and third places also took trophies home. 

The Molokai Lions Club started the original Halloween Costume Contest in 1967. Many adults on Molokai, including the library’s branch manager, Mia Langer Ritte, participated in the contest as a kid. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, public events came to a halt. The Halloween contest became a casualty, but the folks at the Friends of Molokai Public Library tricked the grim reaper and brought the contest back to life this year. And according to Howard, it will become an annual fixture again. A handful of students from Molokai High School Leo Club helped the event’s organization.

The registration for the contest on Halloween day opened at 3:30 p.m. Morawski started lining up contestants on the steps of the library at 4 p.m., one category after another. Before 5 p.m., all the spooky creatures had already left to forage candy on porches across Molokai, with Ranch Camp being their prime destination.

For the next hour or so, ghosts, monsters and other scary or cute souls could still be seen running amok around Kaunakakai, in pairs or in small groups. Each one had a basket full of payment for holding back their tricks. It became obvious that not every witch lives in Salem — Molokai has their own as well, and they’re quite young. 

By the time the sun was down, many Molokai residents experienced a sweet loss, being forced to surrender all their candy, or else. But everyone survived unharmed. After all, ghouls just want to have fun.