Trick or Treat: Vintage Halloween Photos from Alberta

Halloween is just around the corner. Although this year’s festivities will look different than what we’re used to, there are still opportunities to get out and uncover some frightful fun! After you’ve finished prepping your costume, carving your pumpkin, and decorating your house, grab a handful of treats and enjoy this scroll down memory lane.

What follows is a collection of vintage photographs of Halloween from years gone by. Happy trick or treating everyone!

Typical Halloween trick. Buggies were put on top of hay stacks. In the Pleasant Range area, 10 miles northeast of Airdrie, Alberta, 1930s
Mary Cross dressed in rhubarb leaves, a7 Ranche, Nanton, Alberta, 1910-1912
School children group, Glenbow School, Cochrane area, Alberta, 1911
Knights’ children at fancy dress party, Millarville, Alberta, 1911
Mrs. Jack McCloy and guests at party, Calgary, Alberta, 1910
Halloween prank. Latrine (outhouse) moved to main street. Blairmore, Alberta, 1920s
Claude Gardiner dressed as a sorcerer, Wineglass Ranch, near Brocket, Alberta, 1907-1908
Children in costumes, southern Alberta, 1920-1922
Patients dressed for annual party, Central Alberta sanatorium, Keith, Alberta, 1927-1929
Children in costumes, Delburne, Alberta, 1929
Halloween party at home, Lethbridge, Alberta, 1950s
Halloween, Calgary, Alberta, 1954
Halloween, Calgary, Alberta, 1954
Group dressed for Halloween, Old Sun School, Blackfoot reserve, Alberta, 1930
Children carving pumpkins, Calgary, Alberta, 1947

For additional stories with a ghostly theme, please check-out the following posts: Calgary’s Most Haunted Places, The Ghostrider of the Elk Valley, Exploring in the Land of Ghosts, The Spirit of Minnewanka, and The Hermit of Inglismaldie.

The photos above were collected from the Glenbow Archives. Additional information can be found for each photograph on the Glenbow website by searching the identification number that is printed on each photo. There is also the option to purchase a high resolution copy. Stay tuned for additional posts featuring historical photos from Alberta. We’d love to know what you think in the comment section below.

About Tyler Dixon 229 Articles
Tyler is originally from Saskatchewan, and yes he cheers for the Roughriders, but don’t hold that against him as Calgary has been his home for the past eight years. He is a teacher working at a wilderness- based treatment program for youth working to overcome addiction. Tyler is also a volunteer with the GOT Parks initiative, which aims at reconnecting Canada’s youth with our national, provincial, and territorial parks. During his time away from work, Tyler enjoys outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and snowboarding, team sports, travelling, photography, spending time with good friends, and being at home with his wife and German Shepherd, Rome.