Hellertown Brothers Keep Halloween Fun with Pop-up Trick-or-Treat Station

In the week leading up to trick-or-treating, shadows seem a little colder, the carved jack-o-lantern on your front porch appears more sinister and you feel more suspicious of every little movement you see out of the corner of your eye. Halloween in Hellertown is the perfect combination of seasonal and spooky; enough to satisfy any fan of All Hallow’s Eve.

From 6 to 8 p.m. this Friday, Hellertonians will brave the chilly air in search of goodies. The neighborhood behind the Hellertown Library draws the most crowds, where trick-or-treaters can wind their way through the residential area and stop by the Dewey Fire Department for a handful of sweet treats from the firefighters. At the intersection of Magnolia and Maple roads you can count on seeing Leo, Vincent and Dominic Behe–sometimes accompanied by friends and other siblings–handing out candy from their pop-up style trick-or-treat station. The three brothers have become a familiar sight to trick-or-treaters, with several parents requesting a Saucon Source article highlighting their novel method of distributing Halloween candy. It came about when the Behe brothers first moved to a Hellertown apartment in 2020 and they found themselves in an area that did not get many trick-or-treaters. Determined to join the rest of the community in giving out candy, they had to get creative.

“Our first idea was just to buy a bunch of candy and then drive around town offering it to trick-or-treaters that we saw,” Vincent explains. “But you can see why that would look weird, especially to the kids’ parents… It only took us a minute or two to realize that we should park the car and give out candy like normal people!”

The brothers chose the intersection of Magnolia and Maple because of its central location, heavy foot traffic and wide roads that could easily accommodate their parked car. A tradition was born, with each successive Halloween setup just a little more complete. Now, the brothers come prepared with lawn chairs, a ghoulish cauldron to hold the candy and a carefully curated playlist of songs with classics such as “The Monster Mash,” “Thriller” and the Ghostbusters theme. 

Of course, it wouldn’t be Halloween without costumes. Vincent kept it weird the past two Halloweens by dressing as a giraffe. This year, Leo plans to go the more traditional route by handing out candy while dressed as a character from the popular anime Attack on Titan.

“Costumes now are much more oriented towards current popular culture,” Leo explains. “When I was growing up, they were more oriented towards general Halloween themes like witches, goblins and ghosts.” Leo has always had fun both observing and creating costumes. “I remember going trick-or-treating as a traffic light when I was little,” he laughs. “I remember it because a car drove by and threw out candy for the kids, and I couldn’t pick it up because the costume prevented me from bending over far enough to reach the ground.”

A crisis took place during the brothers’ 2024 Halloween candy giveaway, when the supply ran out halfway through the trick-or-treating period. Thankfully an emergency group text to family and friends helped avert the catastrophe, as they stopped by the store for extra supplies. But the expense and occasional hassle of their unconventional Halloween candy distribution is nothing compared to the fun it provides, say the brothers.

“It costs $10 to buy the candy but it’s such a big deal, especially for the younger kids,” Leo explains. “My favorite memories are just all the times a kid looks like they won the lottery when I tell them they can take two candies.”

Dominic agrees, and especially appreciates interacting with the trick-or-treaters. “I enjoy giving out candy even more than I did trick-or-treating, because you get to see the different personalities of the kids show through,” he says. “Some kids don’t even want to get close enough to take any, while others are turning the bowl upside down digging for the best pieces.”

Don’t forget to bundle up this Friday and join your community in this year’s trick-or-treating! And if you spot a giraffe and a titan-slayer on the corner of Magnolia and Maple, you aren’t seeing things: it’s probably just the Brothers Behe up to their usual Halloween tricks.

Helen Behe is an MFA candidate at DeSales University, where she is studying through the program’s poetry track for a degree in creative writing and publishing. Aside from her studies, Helen enjoys gardening, boxing and rooting for the Philadelphia Eagles. She is a resident of Bethlehem. Read more of Helen’s Then & Now series here.