BOO !
Chattam & Wells ™
mattresses are made in Fall River , Massachusetts .
MEAGHAN SUSI
Ah , October . The month of cornstalks and mazes , apple picking , hayrides and leaf peeping as we all desperately try to enjoy the last vestiges of an unexpectedly warm fall season .
Of course , the month is synonymous with the celebration of All Hallows Eve , more commonly known to us as Halloween . It is said the roots of the celebration trace back to the festival of Samhain among the Celts of Great Britain and Ireland . It was believed that the souls of those who had passed would revisit their homes . People lit bonfires on the hillsides to frighten away evil spirits and wore masks as disguises to avoid being recognized by the ghosts thought to be present .
Who would have imagined it would become the retail juggernaut and candypalooza that generated more than $ 10 billion in retail sales last year ? That is a lot of candy corn . Well , as you can tell from the cover story in this issue , we also got into the spirits of the season ( pun intended ) with our look at the filming of Hocus Pocus 2 by Disney last fall and into late January . The sequel , twenty-nine years after the original , is set to debut about the same time this issue reaches everyone ’ s mailboxes .
The transformation of Chase Farm in Lincoln to seventeenth century Salem was amazing . Celebrity sightings of the Sanderson sisters became everyone ’ s favorite pastime , from Atwells Avenue to Newport .
This should be a great source of Little Rhody pride and a tribute to the great work and reputation of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office with Steve Feinberg at the helm .
Also in this issue , for those who are interested in activities with less caloric intake , our editorial team fanned out across the Northeast to provide a user-friendly and detailed guide to some driving-distance weekend getaways you might want to attempt before the flurries arrive . Whether you are a fan of the hustle and bustle of big cities or the idyllic quiet weekend in the country , you ’ ll find it in “ Fall Escapes .”
For the twenty-seventh year , a Rhode Island Monthly tradition continues with the presentation of our annual Design Awards , the only local juried competition for architecture and interior design in the state . It is a tribute to the talented designers and builders we have in Rhode Island .
And yes , I am giving serious consideration to that bonfire and mask strategy next time I get a complaint .
To the Rhode ahead . – J . J . P .
10 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l OCTOBER 2022