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Some Quad-City area children — and some parents — may be recovering today from nightmares and sugar highs.

While most area communities observe Halloween tonight, some, like Davenport and Buffalo, Iowa, observed trick-or-treat hours Saturday night.

It was a night where vampires, super heroes, cheerleaders and other ghostly beings overran the streets. Fortunately, the wind had died down so the witches and ghosts weren’t able to take flight. Instead, they had to rely on their ‘mummies’ and daddies to transport them from house to house.

Tara Hahn drove her van loaded with cheerleaders, “Scream” killers, vampires and miniature Spidermen from the west end of Davenport to Marquette Street.

Jenna Stinson, 10, also was in the area with her Davenport family and friends. The hula dancer said her favorite part of Halloween is the costumes and the candy.

Older sister, Caitlyn, 12, a cat for the evening, likes the haunted houses, especially “the people jumping out and scaring you.”

Joining them were Brittany, 12, and Amanda, 9, Stack, a cheerleader and soccer zombie, respectively, and Cathleen Vondera, 12, a soldier.

On the west end of Davenport, the Glaspell’s Garage of Terror was open for business to scare visitors and celebrate Eric Thomas’s 28th birthday.
“He’s been building haunted houses since has was a kid,” Cindy Thomas said of her son.

This year, Erie Thomas and his friends from the Dominos in Muscatine took over the Thomas garage and basement for their haunted house. The scream team included Steve Ridley, Amanda Dahl, Matt Angelini and Melissa Cheek, “He’s a Halloween fiend,” said Lea Thomas, Eric’s wife.
The group worked for two months on their setup, and sent fliers out around the Glaspell neighborhood promoting their capers. They plan to continue the tradition next year.

A bit farther west, more screams could be heard at the Fuger Freak Show in Buffalo. The show is a backyard haunted house that the Fuger family has been running the past 12 years.

“It’s his favorite holiday and our anniversary,” Michelle Fuger said of her husband, John. “His wish is to inspire some kid so they’ll do it when they grow up.”

Last year, they had 130 visitors. They charge no admission and give candy to anyone wearing a costume. The best costumes also win a toy. They don’t even accept donations.

“Donations are physical bodies to help out,” Michelle Fuger said.

Each year, they try to add something new because visitors have come to expect that. This year’s additions included a haunted walkway and a “Kerry is Scary” exhibit.

They said trick-or-treaters there are not forced through the haunted house to receive their candy, but it is an added bonus. They even have escape routes just in case smaller children become too frightened to continue.

“We’ve got some kids who run through four of five times,” Michelle Fuger said.
Her husband usually takes an entire week off his job to prepare the entire setup. And the entire family helps, including their children, Amelia, 14, and son, Johnny, 5. Several friends and neighbors also assist.

“I grew up with it,” Amelia said. “There are some things that scare me, but not much.”