As students arrive at WA’s parking lot they are greeted by a scene slightly different from the usual traffic: cars fill the parking lot, but each trunk is wide open. Inside, each is decorated with unique themes, alluring onlookers. As the day quickly shifts to evening, Westford begins to get an early glimpse of Halloween through WA STUCO’s Trunk or Treat event.
For the third official year since they created the event, WA Student Council (STUCO) will organize and host Trunk or Treat on Wednesday, Oct. 30 from 5 to 7 p.m in the WA Senior Parking Lot. Admission to the event is free and open to the public, but specifically angled toward elementary and middle school students.
Any WA-affiliated group interested in reserving a spot for the event should fill out this form by October 21.
The event, though run by STUCO, is spearheaded by a select committee that is in charge of advertising and organizing everything. This committee includes seniors Daniel Wang, Sathian Soman, Navyas Balin, and Sahil Dua, juniors Anushka Chilukuri, Sandeep Sivakumar, and Kanha Patel, and sophomore Caitlyn Popelka. Of these eight, Wang, Soman, and Chilukuri hold co-chair positions.
“I actually do enjoy [organizing Trunk or Treat] every year. I was on the committee as a freshman as well,” Chilukuri said. “I just love being able to set it up and seeing the kids in their costumes. And it’s an easy way to just support [the] community and benefit the community.”
Trunk or Treat has been an event at WA since 2022, created to provide younger children in Westford an early treat before Halloween while also fostering connections between the community. This year, tickets to WA Theater Arts’ (WATA) production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will also be on sale at the event.
As an alternative to traditional trick or treating, cars are lined up in the parking lot at WA, each trunk elaborately adorned with spooky decorations. Attendees can then walk through the rows of cars, dressed in their best costumes, to receive handfuls of candy from each trunk.
Younger students not only receive sweet treats, but also exposure to the variety of clubs, organizations, and branches of student government at WA. This prospect can enable younger generations to get involved with the high school sooner.
“STUCO’s main goal, in general, is for community service. So I think this is just a way to reach out to the community, or to get people interested in STUCO,” Chilukuri said. “The [students] are walking around, they can see STUCO, they can see other clubs too. And [and the goal is] just to get more community involvement and brighten up kids’ days too.”
A variety of groups, clubs, organizations, or even just student friend groups can sign up using a form to reserve a spot for the event, and each car is responsible for providing their own candy and decorations. In past years, Trunk or Treat has been a key outlet of connection for large organizations such as DECA.
“DECA does Trunk or Treat as we want to be connected to the younger members of our community and hope to spread the Halloween spirit,’ DECA officer Srisai Vuppuluri said.
STUCO itself will also be hosting its own car, alongside tables where they will hand out glow stick bracelets to newcomers while also working to get an approximate headcount of the event.
“I think kids just get really excited. Like they walk up, and they’re just so excited,” Chilukuri said. “They come in all their costumes, and they can meet their friends too. They come with all their friends. They come with their own sports teams and everything. I just think it’s really nice to see them be excited, and for the festive season.”
