Our Final Year of Trunk-or-Treat

We are retiring!

Most people don't know that for the last 3 or so years, Mandy with Hawg Smoke BBQ, and I have been responsible for making sure the Knob Noster Chamber of Commerce's Trunk-or-Treat event in downtown Knob Noster happens. Neither of us are on the board of the KN Chamber this year, but being that Halloween is one of Mandy's favorite events, we are doing it this year on behalf of the KN Chamber.

This will be our final Trunk-or-Treat for the Chamber. It's exciting and bittersweet at the same time.

Please note that just because me and Mandy are retiring from coordinating the event on their behalf, does NOT imply that the Knob Noster Chamber is no longer going to be doing it. They are! The Knob Noster Chamber of Commerce has been hosting the annual Trunk-or-Treats downtown for going on 14 years and I know they will continue to come up with great Trunk-or-Treats.

Each subsequent year the Chamber's Trunk-or-Treat in downtown Knob Noster has grown. The first year we had approximately 150 or so people come through, 2024 had ~ 330, and 2025... over 800! Which seems to predict that this year, 2026, will be at least 1,000 - 2,000 people rolling through (depending on variables) from the local and surrounding community.

Given that Halloween is on a Saturday this year, and Knob Noster is one of the few places that still holds its Trunk-or-Treat on the actual 31st, regardless of the day of the week, attendance should be on the larger side.

We're looking forward to attempting to find a trophy that, once again, is larger and cooler than the year prior. Check out these from the past three years:

We don't pick the winner. The community does / YOU do.

     It's a weird feeling, knowing this will be the last running of Trunk-or-Treat on behalf of the Chamber for us. But also, relief. It is a lot of work behind the scenes. We have been doing this together for so long, that it became seamless between the two of us. However, work is work and we still like to have fun at the Chamber's events. I'm just glad that Mandy / Hawg Smoke BBQ is a pro at the assigning and map portions.

She also happens to have some of the best BBQ and cupcakes around.

Totally recommend her for catering events.

None of this is gloom! It just means that after this year, we won't have the responsibilities. It means we get to participate fully and just be part of the community event. Wait! This kind of makes this Chamber Trunk-or-Treat *our retirement party!

*It's not actually our retirement party. That was a joke. It's literally the Knob Noster Chamber of Commerce's 14th Annual Trunk-or-Treat event and nothing more.

We're just coordinating it on their behalf - Mandy and I don't "own" Trunk-or-Treat.

Yes, we do dress up. Yes, we have a blast. Yes, you should too.

Presenting Darrell at Olde Town South the 2025 trophy. The community liked his Pennywise set-up and voted it Community Favorite Trunk.

Maybe Halloween is not your cup of tea, and that's totally okay! For me and Mandy, it's one day to have a blast, and to have the community gather together for an event that isn't asking you to buy anything. Just show up and have fun.

**Unless you are a boo-th host... then... yeah, you kind of have to buy / gather / collect treats or trinkets to give to community kids and sometimes adults, but we're not judging - it's part of it.

If it is your cup of tea, we would love it if you joined us for this chapter. Either as just you and your family/friends, or as a "boo-th" host handing out treats or trinkets to the community (which also comes with a chance at the unique-for-keeps trophy...).

 If you're interested and would like more information, go to the Chamber's website (knchamber.org) - events - Trunk-or-Treat. We created a Boo-th Host Survival Guide for this year; due to the sheer number of community members (local and surrounding - we're all on the same floating rock) that we are expecting to pass through. If you have questions, just reach out. Mandy and I are here to answer them.

Start getting creative, start stocking up on trinkets and / or treats, and start planning to join me and Mandy for our final Trunk-or-Treat on the KN Chamber's behalf.

You're going to need a bigger bucket.

Get your costume(s) ready and bring something bigger than a standard size collection pumpkin.

While you are doing that, Mandy and I will be dragging out our totes full of skeletons, planning out photo ops, getting zombies ready, and priming her fog machine.

As always: drink water, go outside, and make good choices!

-Jamie