Ellie here. Happy Halloween! Did you know Halloween originated about 2,000 years ago during the Celtic festival of Samhain? The holiday marked the end of summer and harvest and the beginning of the cold winter.
During that time, winter was often associated with human death. The Celts believed that on the day we now know as Halloween, the barrier between the living and the dead was the thinnest.
Later, the Catholic Church merged some of these traditions. They called the night before “Saints Day,” on Nov. 1, “All Hallows’ Eve,” which eventually became Halloween.
To celebrate Halloween, we’ll take a look at some of the ways our readers enjoy spending the holiday, along with some other Wisconsin news!
Next week, for our Locals Love section, I want to hear about your favorite spots to get cheese curds. Send them in with photos, and tell me why it’s your favorite to have it featured!
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What’s the best way to spend Halloween in Wisconsin?
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Halloween decorations from our readers! (Courtesy of Karen S., Bridget B., Chris K., Mark B., Kurt M., and Kailey-Jo G.)
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Halloween means something different for everyone in Wisconsin—whether it’s carving pumpkins, hitting the local bars in costume, or loading up on your favorite candy. Here’s how some of our readers like to celebrate:
🍻 Local bars
“It’s always fun to see people dressed up in costumes at the bars, including the bartenders. I have gone to big Halloween events where costumes are very extravagant and intended for winning big prizes. At the bars, costumes can be cheap and fun and people still cheer for your costume.” — Paul L.
🎃 Carving pumpkins
“I usually carve 10 plus pumpkins to put around the yard… depending on how warm it is, will dictate when I carve. I have been doing this for over 50 years… just another fun thing to do for Halloween for the kids.” — Chris K.
🍬 Sweet tooth
I also asked this week what you think the official state candy should be. Here’s what you said:
🍬 Snickers — Peggy N.
🍬 Gummy Worms — Patrick F.
🍬 Cow Pie Candy — Sharon L.
🍬 Milky Way — Cindy F.
Don’t forget to share your favorite cheese curd spots—and tell us why—to be featured next Friday!
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Pumpkins with patterns glued to them are ready to be carved for a Halloween display in Waupaca. (USA Today via Reuters Connect)
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By USA Today via Reuters Connect
It started 25 years ago with five carved lighted pumpkins displayed in front of Jim and Deb Miller’s rural Waupaca home. Over the years, those five pumpkins grew to 10, then 50, then 100, and then 150.
The display eventually became too big for the Millers to handle, so they moved it three years ago to downtown Waupaca, where it is now part of the city’s annual Halloween on Main Street celebration.
“That’s an interesting question,” Jim Miller said when asked why he’s kept the tradition alive for 2 ½ decades.
“Really, I still enjoy it and I like doing something for the community,” he said while taking a break from carving a pumpkin in his Town of Farmington garage. “There will be a time when it has to stop.”
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(Ken Schulze/Shutterstock)
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By Sophie Boudreau
Across the country, rural Americans are facing challenges that go far beyond headlines and statistics: An Appalachian woman whose life was saved by Medicaid worries that rural areas will be hit especially hard by federal health care cuts. Farmers in isolated communities fear that efforts to privatize the US Postal Service will leave them unable to receive medications by mail or return mail-in ballots. A family farmer laments the impact of an immigration raid on his small town’s economy and social fabric.
For millions living outside the nation’s big cities, these stories are the lived reality of political choices and shifting federal priorities.
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Reach 175,000+ Wisconsinites who care about their communities! Sponsor UpNorthNews’ Dec. 6 Special Edition, “How to Get Involved and Give Back this Holiday Season.” Book by Nov. 21, 2025, and save 20% off your placement.
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