THUNDER BAY – The spirit of Halloween can be felt upon immediately entering Dagwood’s Bakery and Deli this week.
The East Brock Street Bakery is decorated from ceiling to floor, wall-to-wall, for the spook season and and while the Dagwood’s team is already in the Halloween Spirit, this Thursday is the fifth anniversary of their Slightly Batty Halloween event.
“It’s going to be spooktacular,” said Olivia Widla, event planner for Dagwood’s.
In addition to a special Halloween menu, there will be photo opportunities with classic spooky characters – Jack Skellington and Sally from the Nightmare Before Christmas and the Sanderson Sisters of Hocus Pocus.
The first 150 trick or treaters through the door will also get a free treat.
In its first year, the event saw about 150 people come through the bakery doors. It’s popularity has grown over the last five year with about 550 attending last year.
This year, Widla hopes to see upwards of 650 people come share their love of Halloween.
Widla says it makes her emotional to think of how the community has embraced the event.
“The first year was the biggest emotion when I started crying after because of how happy I was to see everybody come out,” she said. “I’m a huge supporter of Halloween. I think everyone should be able to be themselves – when they’re adults or children.
“It makes me happy. This one wants to be a Sailor Scout, this one wants to be Sonic, this one wants to be whoever they want to be. I love that.”
The Halloween menu includes items the Slightly Batty Jumbo donut, Hocus Pocus Long John, Black Widow cakes, bloody eyeball cake pops, a brownie decorated to look like book from Hocus Pocus, and chocolate covered apples decorated to look like Jack Skellington.
Dagwood’s Slightly Batty Halloween runs from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday with 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. being a sensory-friendly time.
