Before the Roaring ’20s were in full swing, Anoka, Minnesota was dealing with a problem. Their teenagers were causing mayhem in the form of destructive pranks every October. The town, an outer suburb of the Twin Cities, took matters into its own hands and organized the first official Halloween celebration of its kind to keep their youngsters from vandalizing neighborhoods. In 1920, Halloween took on new meaning with parade and a bonfire.
Every year since (except for two years during WWII), Anoka has hosted Halloween festivities and everyone is always invited. In modern times, it has become a month long event that includes three parades, a pumpkin weigh off, ghost tours, and a haunted house at the Anoka County Fairgrounds. People start lining up for the final Halloween parade hours in advance regardless of weather. Today, it never felt as if it was above thirty degrees, but Minnesotans are a hearty bunch and it only added to the experience.
Don’t let the month long celebration fool you. Anoka is still a quaint small town. Its downtown area consists of two blocks of two story brick buildings from a bygone era. Local coffee shops sell lattes with a shot of apple cider mixed in. Antique shops fill their windows with Halloween wares.
Around town, Halloween themed art can be seen by passerby.
Businesses really get into the Halloween spirit. Even if a business chooses to stay closed for the day of the parade, they still decorate their windows with some pretty awesome murals.
On the other side of the Rum River are some houses of historical relevance. The first is the Shaw-Hammons House was built in 1852 and is the oldest home in Anoka. It changed hands a few times over the years and fell into such disrepair at one point that developers wanted to tear it down to build condos. Thanks to preservation ordinances, the house was not demolished and it was eventually bought by a private citizen who restored the house to its original beauty.
Not far from the Shaw-Hammons House is the Woodbury House, also known to locals as The Mad Hatter Restaurant and Tea House. It was originally built in 1857. The establishment wins awards for its brunch annually. On the day I visited it was closed, but I did get to see an epic oak tree sprinkling its colorful autumn leaves upon this building.
The decor is fun and stays with the Alice in Wonderland theme.
As we ventured back toward the Main Street Bridge, we came across a pedestrian tunnel decorated in murals by local artists. It is a whimsical experience if you don’t mind walking into an enclosed space (hope you don’t watch a lot of horror movies.)
While you are down near the entrance to the tunnel, take a look at the underside of the Main Street Bridge which is pretty cool in and of itself.
This concludes this history lesson on how Anoka became the self proclaimed Halloween Capital of the World. For more information on this Halloween loving town, visit their website. If you are lucky enough to be in Anoka on a Saturday during October, visit their official Halloween Shop on Second Avenue and stock up on sweatshirts and pins and coffee mugs. You can buy the swag on their website as well if there is anything left after the Halloween crowds buy their souvenirs.
As always, you buy buy prints of some of my photography at my Etsy store.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
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Becky Tyler Art and Photography 
Before the Roaring ’20s were in full swing, Anoka, Minnesota was dealing with a problem. Their teenagers were causing mayhem in the form of destructive pranks every October. The town, an outer suburb of the Twin Cities, took matters into its own hands and organized the first official Halloween celebration of its kind to keep their youngsters from vandalizing neighborhoods. In 1920, Halloween took on new meaning with parade and a bonfire.
Every year since (except for two years during WWII), Anoka has hosted Halloween festivities and everyone is always invited. In modern times, it has become a month long event that includes three parades, a pumpkin weigh off, ghost tours, and a haunted house at the Anoka County Fairgrounds. People start lining up for the final Halloween parade hours in advance regardless of weather. Today, it never felt as if it was above thirty degrees, but Minnesotans are a hearty bunch and it only added to the experience.
Don’t let the month long celebration fool you. Anoka is still a quaint small town. Its downtown area consists of two blocks of two story brick buildings from a bygone era. Local coffee shops sell lattes with a shot of apple cider mixed in. Antique shops fill their windows with Halloween wares.
Around town, Halloween themed art can be seen by passerby.
Businesses really get into the Halloween spirit. Even if a business chooses to stay closed for the day of the parade, they still decorate their windows with some pretty awesome murals.
On the other side of the Rum River are some houses of historical relevance. The first is the Shaw-Hammons House was built in 1852 and is the oldest home in Anoka. It changed hands a few times over the years and fell into such disrepair at one point that developers wanted to tear it down to build condos. Thanks to preservation ordinances, the house was not demolished and it was eventually bought by a private citizen who restored the house to its original beauty.
Not far from the Shaw-Hammons House is the Woodbury House, also known to locals as The Mad Hatter Restaurant and Tea House. It was originally built in 1857. The establishment wins awards for its brunch annually. On the day I visited it was closed, but I did get to see an epic oak tree sprinkling its colorful autumn leaves upon this building.
The decor is fun and stays with the Alice in Wonderland theme.
As we ventured back toward the Main Street Bridge, we came across a pedestrian tunnel decorated in murals by local artists. It is a whimsical experience if you don’t mind walking into an enclosed space (hope you don’t watch a lot of horror movies.)
While you are down near the entrance to the tunnel, take a look at the underside of the Main Street Bridge which is pretty cool in and of itself.
This concludes this history lesson on how Anoka became the self proclaimed Halloween Capital of the World. For more information on this Halloween loving town, visit their website. If you are lucky enough to be in Anoka on a Saturday during October, visit their official Halloween Shop on Second Avenue and stock up on sweatshirts and pins and coffee mugs. You can buy the swag on their website as well if there is anything left after the Halloween crowds buy their souvenirs.
As always, you buy buy prints of some of my photography at my Etsy store.
Discover more from Becky Tyler Art and Photography
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
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