White Plains pre-school teacher turns campfire treat into annual Halloween event

All trick-or-treaters who stop at Joretta Crabbe's Grand Avenue home get to roast their own smores.

Jade Nash

Nov 1, 2023, 12:39 AM

Updated 311 days ago

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When trick-or-treaters come to Joretta Crabbe's house, they don't get candy. Instead, they get a chance to make their own s'mores.
"For me, it's just a great way to see everyone and have a really nice time," Crabbe said.
The preschool teacher said she had been hosting the event for nearly 12 years. She got the idea from another educator.
"My daughter, when she was in kindergarten, her teacher did something similar, just for the kids in the class," Crabbe said. "Then when she got a little older, I was like 'Oh that would be so nice, I'll just do it.'"
This year, hundreds came to Crabbe's house for the event.
The host said she starts prepping for it at least two weeks in advance. This year, she said she spent nearly $450 buying all of the supplies.
"I think that I have 27 Hershey bars... Then I have about 20, maybe 30, boxes of graham crackers and about 15 containers of marshmallows," Crabbe said.
Some parents, like Nick Lenhard, told News 12 that they've been bringing their kids to the Crabbe household for Halloween s'mores for years.
"It's kind of like a neighborhood tradition," Lenhard said.
Several of the kids, like 8-year-old Everett, said they knew Crabbe from the classroom.
"She was [the] assistant teacher in my preschool class," Everett said.
It was part of the reason why Crabbe continues to host the event.
"I love being a teacher and I love what I do, and I love the expressions that I see on their faces.... it's a really nice event and just brings everyone joy," Crabbe said. "[It] brings me a lot of joy, too," she says.