Carleton College students will celebrate Halloween with two special events to benefit the Northfield community. On Sunday, Oct. 25 from 3 to 5 p.m., student athletes and their coachs will host their 11th annual Halloween ‘Knight’ Carnival in the West Gym on the Carleton campus. The carnival invites pre-school through elementary-age children in Northfield to participate in numerous games and activities, including face-painting, a football toss, bowling, a relay race, and a “fishing” pond. Varsity athletic teams sponsor the different activities and also distribute candy and prizes. Children are encouraged to dress in costume and bring their parents for a fun, family-friendly Halloween “Knight.”  This event is free and open to the public.  

On Saturday, Oct. 31, the Carleton College Chapter of Mortar Board, a national honor society that engages college students in service and leadership opportunities, will host its annual “Trick-or-Treat for Canned Goods.” Between 5:30 and 9:00 p.m., teams of student volunteers will travel door-to-door throughout Northfield to collect non-perishable food items. All donations will be given to the Northfield Community Action Center food shelf, which currently serves around 430 families in the Northfield area. With a successful collection last year totaling 4,450 lbs, the CAC greatly appreciates students’ participation and contributions. Following the collection, Mortar Board members will tally the number of items gathered by each team to award prizes to the top three teams, with the first place team winning a dinner with Carleton President Robert Oden Jr. In addition, canned goods will be accepted as admission for Carleton athletic events.

The Carleton College West Gym is located off Highway 19 in Northfield. For more information regarding the Carnival, please contact the Carleton College Athletic Department (507) 222-4052. Carleton students who would like to register a trick-or-treating team can email Lisa Otto at ottol@carleton.edu.