Photos by Tom Rivers

ALBION/MEDINA – The downtown business districts in Albion and Medina held their annual Beggar’s Nite celebrations on Friday evening and passed out candy to hundreds of kids in costume. They were able to fill their bags and baskets with treats – a week before Halloween.

The top photo shows a kid dressed as SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob is on the hunt for candy along Main Street in front of KeyBank.

Provided photo: Rylie, Sydney and Shelby Ierlan are shown with their mother, Mykailah Roberts, in Albion. They had a Cat in the Hat theme.

Anita Finley, lower right, was among the merchants passing out candy in downtown Albion.

A friendly Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street made an appearance in Albion.

The Downtown Browsery welcomed kids into the building where there were several stops for candy and prizes.

This group did a witches’ dance on Main Street in Albion.

The Print Shop upped its efforts during Beggar’s Night in medina, creating this banner as a photo back drop. A long line waited outside at the Print Shop’s parking lot.

These kids in the photo include a brother and sister. Alyvia Chmylak, 6, of Holley is the Corpse Bride and her brother Kayden, age 9, is a Horror Rabbit.

Jana Howard, back left, and Tina Oosterling, co-owner of A Kut Above, gave out lots of candy. They look forward to Beggar’s Nite every year.

“We live to see the kids,” Howard said. “We see a lot of people we know. The kids are growing up fast.”

Randy Heslor, production supervisor for The Print Shop, dressed as the IT character and served as a crossing guard during the busy event.

Riki Lake, dressed as pumpkin, passed out candy next to her son, Lakato who was a character from Squid Games. They are outside the new office for CHPC.

Micheal Fuller, co-owner of The Print Shop, hands out boxes of candy and stickers. Print Shop went through 800 in the first hour and had 1,000 ready to give away. Nicole Keith is the butterfly and her daughter Aurora is Miraculous Ladybug.

Marci Fullwell, a vendor at the Downtown Browsery, disperses candy while in a character in the window portrays Jason from the Friday the 13^th movies.

The Fringe not only passed out candy but they dressed out as characters from Hocus Pocus.

In front, Khloe Mank, 9, is Emily Binx. In back from left are Leah Printup as Thackery Binx (the iconic cat), Jennifer Printup as Winifred Sanderson, Amanda Mank as Mary Sanderson, and Vanessa Lhommedieu as Sarah Sanderson.

Lhommedieu is owner of The Fringe. Last year the group dressed up as characters from Beetlejuice.

“I love the magic of Halloween for kids,” she said. “It’s fun when your co-workers join in the shenanigans with you.”

Photo by Tom Rivers: Pamela Jenks of Pretty Sweet Bakery, right and Debbie Prest of Red Check Rustic dole out the candy in Albion during Beggar’s Night on Oct. 27, 2023.

By Tom Rivers and Ginny Kropf

Halloween is still almost a week away but local kids can get a chance to collect lots of candy on Friday during beggar’s Night in the downtowns of Albion and Medina.

The downtowns in both villages will have hundreds of children in costumes for Beggar’s Nite. That day is observed the Friday before Halloween. This year, Halloween is on a Friday so Beggar’s Nite will be a week ahead of Oct. 31.

Provided photo: The Print Shop has candy boxes and stickers ready for each child on Beggars’ Night in Medina. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday at outside the The Print Shop, 128 East Center St. In Albion, Beggar’s Night begins at 5 p.m.

Albion has Beggar’s Nite from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 24, while in Medina the event runs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. In medina, the event starts outside The Print Shop by the Medicine Shoppe.

The Print Shop is upping the ante this year, bringing more fun, fog and community spirit, according to Micheal Fuller, co-owner of the business with Dameon Heslor.

An estimated 700 children are expected in downtown Medina, where they will receive a royal send-off as they go trick-or-treating. The Print Shop will bubble and fog machines, festive music and a custom photo backdrop at the beginning of the Beggar’s Night route in the downtown.

The Print Shop team has created custom-designed items in their shop for each child. Also, a first-time feature will be Greenlief’s food truck on site during the entire evening.

“Beggars’ Night is one of our favorite events, because it gives us a chance to give back to the community that supports us all year long,” Heslor said. “Seeing the kids’ excitement and being part of a night that brings so many families downtown reminds us why we love being here in Medina.”

Albion’s Beggar’s Night starts at 5 p.m. There isn’t a specific starting spot. The trick or treating line in a loop.

People can park behind the fire department, next to Courthouse Square or the small municipal lot on Platt Street.