On Monday evening, the Bowie Band transformed level three of the garage into a festive Halloween celebration for its annual Trunk or Treat event. Set up by the Bowie Band booster club, this beloved tradition brings the entire band program together for an hour of candy, creativity, and community.
Every year during the Halloween season, band members trade their instruments for costumes and their sheet music for candy bags. Trunk or Treat, a popular Halloween spin-off of “Trick or Treat”, swaps front porches for car trunks, as students go from vehicle to vehicle collecting treats from festively decorated displays.
“It was located on level three of the garage, and cars were parked with their trunks open and decorated,” junior Maddison McCain said. “My friends and I walked from trunk to trunk getting candy, playing activities, or eating food. It was a really fun and relaxed night.”
The tradition of band Trunk or Treat started in the very first years of the Bowie Band. Over the years, Bowie’s Trunk or Treat has grown into a larger celebration complete with games, music, and even spooky surprises.
“Trunk or Treat has been around since before I started at Bowie,” band director Anothony Paxton said. “We used to have it at the back of the Burger Stadium lot when the band used to rehearse at Burger. Trunk or Treat is mostly for band members and their families, and the parents love to decorate their cars, and the students enjoy the costumes and candy.”
As the event continues to evolve, the Bowie Band booster club gets more and more creative. What started as a small gathering has become a staple of the band’s culture, blending Halloween fun with the strong sense of community that defines Bowie Band.
“Last year, someone set up a whole haunted house in their area of the garage,” Alex Flores said. “It was really creative and added to the whole Halloween vibe.”
Students are also encouraged to come in costume, adding color and personality to the event. Outfits ranged from lighthearted inflatables to detailed recreations of movie villains and superheroes.
“I love seeing everyone’s costumes because some people get really creative,” McCain said. “It’s so cool getting to look at what my friends come up with, and even comparing different people’s takes on the same costume.”
The event offers band members a break from their busy rehearsal and performance schedules. Friends dress up and walk around the garage together, mingling with their fellow bandmates, eating candy, and talking about their Halloween plans.
“I think Trunk or Treat is a good way to bring us all together,” Flores said. “It allows us to spend time with each other outside of band practice or football games, and lets us get to know one another better.”
For many in the Bowie Band, the annual Trunk or Treat had become more than a Halloween party. It’s their way to celebrate creativity, friendship, and community away from the stress of the upcoming competition season.
“The last week of October is a busy time for band, so it’s a way for us to enjoy Halloween with our band family,” Paxton said. “This event reminds us to connect with each other outside of rehearsals, and remember that we’re a part of something special.”
