For the first time in our twenty-nine years, this year the School Meeting and various school corporations voted to have not one but two Halloween parties, on the same day. The first continued our long tradition of a daytime costume party, while the second was an ambitious evening party and fundraiser for the new Treehouse, featuring a spectacularly eerie art installation in the Circle Room, a bonfire, a spooky outdoor food service tent, and even a nighttime walk in the woods. Tragically, the week before these dual extravaganzas, our colleague who manages art projects and who excels at party planning suffered a sudden death in her family and would be unavailable for the parties and the entire week beforehand. Undeterred, our remarkable students stepped ‘once more unto the breach,’ creating an instant case study in the educational processes of Fairhaven School.
Fairhaven has always attracted theater folks, so costumes, Halloween and Fairhaven? A perfect fit since 1998. Throw in crafters, cosplayers, and the extraordinary creativity that only freedom fosters, and you get the picture. Several years ago, School Meeting chartered the Party Corp, and the students therein plan and execute the annual party. For many years we had a bonfire and cookout in the backyard, but years ago, Party Corp decided on a more ambitious indoor affair with music, lots of food, black lights, and a five-category costume contest, all in the Chesapeake Room. Throw in Theatre Corp’s blackout curtains for the windows, and the afternoon party rocks.
Despite heavy student involvement, the party-oriented staff member has always played a vital role. Lo and behold, when she suddenly had to leave, the intrepid students of Party Corp didn’t miss a beat. Cleanup after the big event is often where the rubber meets the road, and stalwarts packed up all the creepy decorations, washed all the dishes, and returned the Chesapeake Room to its original state. Completing a job well done, three of us moved everything back to the attic. On to party number two!
Another colleague stepped in to support the primary artist for the Circle Room installation, collaborating late into the night before to complete the project. She and another student arrived the next day as spot-on Morticia and Gomez Adams, and they finalized plans for getting into character. A third student played the faux pipe organ for ambience. Meanwhile, outside, students from the Green Corp set up the outdoor tent with tables, lights, more music, many of the spooky decorations from earlier, and a cotton candy machine. They arranged chairs around the bonfire pit, while one even split wood with a staff member for the fire.
As the clock struck 5:00, ‘Gomez’ inquired about the blackout curtains we had already returned to the attic. Alack and alas! What’s a theatrical presentation without last-minute hiccups? With the aid of a staff member by phone and a student on stilts, we mounted the heavy black drapes, completing the desired effect. For the next two-plus hours, parents and students experienced the macabre vibe of ‘Hilltop Manor” indoors, ate pizza and desserts under the stars, sang around the bonfire, played night soccer on the field, and took a spooky night walk in the forest. As the party wound down, the student organizers and staff cleaned and cleaned, setting everything to rights before dragging our weary selves home.
A Fairhaven School education is a complex dance of freedom and responsibility. For most young people, the freedom begins on day one, while the responsibility grows over time, invisible as a ghost. Nevertheless, we sometimes observe sudden new levels of ownership and maturity all at once, and this year’s memorable all-day Halloween represents just such a time. The daytime party was a hit, and the nighttime event was, if you will, “a graveyard smash.” We raised over $2,000 for the Treehouse Fund, we further tightened our community, and we got to witness how Fairhaven students discover how to turn crisis into opportunity.
Mark McCaig, November 2026
