Children aren’t the only ones who can dress up in a costume and get candy as Bow and Hopkinton will host Halloween events geared for all ages and for those ready to show off their creative styles.

Bow

Bow’s Baker Free Library Director Lori Fisher said the upcoming trick-or-treat event is for all ages.

“We try to tailor our story times to seasonal activities. We’ll be going with fall themes and Halloween themes,” Fisher said. “It isn’t just for kids. We’d love to see adults come out in their costumes as well.”

Fisher also said Halloween isn’t only about the candy.

“October is a great time of year, and everyone loves to recharge their batteries and take in the foliage,” she said. “It’s the one time of year when everyone can dress as wacky as they can, and people don’t blink an eye. Halloween really gives people a chance to get creative.”

The trick-or-treat event at Baker Free Library takes place Friday, Oct. 31, from 3 to 7 p.m., and Fisher said she hopes visitors will grab a book after they take their candy.

Baker Free Library will also host a Spooky Skeletons workshop on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to noon, giving 5 to 9- year-olds the chance to read a skeleton book and make a Halloween creation from paper plates.

Also in Bow, the Recreation Department will host a Halloween event on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Community Building for Bow residents in fourth grade and younger.

Children are encouraged to come to the event in costume. Magician B.J. Hickman will also put on a show for those in attendance.

Recreation Department program coordinator Michelle Vecchione said she has been with the department for 20 years, and thinks it has been held annually for about 17 of those years.

“It’s so nice to see the kids. It’s great to see the parents,” Vecchione said. “It’s good to see the community participating, and it’s a safe place for the kids to come. It’s great to have something you can count on this time of year.”

Vecchione also said the children’s tastes in costumes has evolved since the event’s first year.

“As the kids’ programming changes, the costumes change,” she said. “You either get the really scary ones or the cute ones, plus everything in between. You get the regulars, too. I like to see the ghosts and the witches, not the really gory ones.”

Hopkinton

The signature event in Hopkinton is the Haunted House,. This year, the Recreation Department will have an Alien Invasion evening on Sunday, Oct. 26, from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Aliens have crash landed at Kimball Lake and the ships are still around,” said Recreation Director Justin La Vigne. “They’ll be walking around the grounds, and there may be some experiments going on in the cabins.”

La Vigne stressed the importance of community involvement when putting on the event.

“That’s what it’s about. It’s about the community, for the community. It’d be impossible for just the seven of us to put this on,” La Vigne said. “We’ll have 30 to 40 volunteers out there, so it’s huge to have the community involved.”

According to the recreation director, there’s another benefit.

“You get to see your friends dressed up as an alien, so that’s fun,” said La Vigne.

Trick-or-treating

Trick-or-treating in Bow is Friday, Oct. 31, from 7 p.m. to dark. In Hopkinton, trick-or-treaters will be going door to door Oct. 31, from 5 to 8 p.m.