What’s your most unforgettable Halloween experience?

October 30, 2024 | Sparkle Wednesday

It's almost that time of year: Halloween (and if you're part of a particular vintage) time to tell the tale of the infamous Halloween blizzard of 1991. Millennials and GenZers, please bear with this GenXer.

It was 1991, and I lived above a little coffee shop on 24th, and Lyndale called Muddy Waters. Back then, coffee shops were unusual and kind of like Tom's Diner on Seinfeld. Muddy Waters served strong coffee and kitschy snacks like Pop-Tarts and Rice Kristy treats (named after Kristy, one of the owners). I spent a lot of time there.

On Oct. 29, Minneapolis celebrated as thousands of fans made their way downtown to the Minnesota Twins' World Series victory parade. It was cold, and there was no snow.

Fast forward a couple of days.

The snow started falling on Halloween morning and steadily picked up as the day progressed. Some kids braved the winter storm and went trick-or-treating, while others were scared off by the snow. I watched the snow pile up from my apartment windows and the tiny fire escape/patio (generous) off the back of my unit. It was coming down!

I remember David borrowing his dad's snowblower (which was not common then) and going out to shovel out folks in Edina. I walked to the grocery store and bought ingredients for a giant pan of lasagna. Later that night, we ate lasagna, drank cheap wine with friends, and watched the snow continue to fall.

Three days later, when it was all said and done, Jack O'Lanterns were buried deep beneath over 28+ inches of snow. It was memorable. Thick, heavy snow buried the pumpkins until spring that year.

What about you? What’s your most unforgettable Halloween experience?