Despite stocking up on candy, expecting large groups of trick-or-treaters, many Glen Rock houses saw fewer trick-or-treaters than years past.

Local Glen Rock resident and parent, Penny Carling, cited superstorms Sandy and Irene as the main reason for the abrupt decrease in foot traffic on her street.

“I love Halloween, but since those two storms a few years ago, I haven’t seen the same numbers as I used to,” she said.

Laurent Shiels is a senior who runs a haunted house in his garage every year. Both he and Carling agree that a child’s age at the time of the storms would be a factor. A five year old at the time of Hurricane Irene would be unable to trick-or-treat again until he or she were seven, making the boy or girl unaware of the tradition and confused as to it’s purpose.

Due to the heightened popularity of “trunk or treat” events being held across town, young children get their Halloween fix through a more controlled environment, before the actual holiday. Older kids spend their time at a series of house parties over “Halloweekend,” when it is easier to get all of their friends together, as opposed to coordinating meeting places with others while trick-or-treating.

“I didn’t dress up for school,” Shiels said, “But if I had been free to go to a Halloween party instead of at the haunted house that whole week, I probably would have dressed up.”

The tradition of a classwide senior girl costume was retained this year, despite some debate concerning theme. “I was waiting to be a part of it for all of my four years, and even if I didn’t enjoy the costume, I still wanted to participate,” said senior Danielle Felicioli.

“I think it’s sad because Halloween was a big part of my childhood,” Felicioli said, “but in the past few years, we’ve hardly even had a Halloween.”

“I think people will pick the festivities back up in a few years, once people start to miss it a little more. It’s such a classic and fun holiday that I can’t imagine it staying so minor for long,” said Carling.