Eastern Regional Jam band member Todd Cotgreave cuts off a Brussel sprout, for Julie Wootton, right, to hand out to trick-or-treaters in Shepherdstown on Halloween night. Photo by Tabitha Johnston

SHEPHERDSTOWN — While many people prepared for trick-or-treaters this year by purchasing bags of candy or other treats, one group decided to flip that idea on its head, by continuing to observe their own unique tradition on Halloween night.

Members of the Eastern Regional Jam could be found handing out 50-pounds-worth of white potatoes, as well as things like radishes, apples, cat food, cardboard and Brussel sprouts to trick-or-treaters in downtown Shepherdstown on Oct. 31.

“It’s ‘trick or treat,’ and we do tricks,” said Julie Wootton, whose husband Will is in the band. “The trick-or-treaters love it. Some of the kids go so far as to trade some of their candy to get another trick.”

Jenna Winters, whose father is in the band, held up a Twix bar that a child had just bargained in exchange for a potato.

“It’s wild how much some people get into it,” Winters said.

Wootton acknowledged that receiving a trick, rather than a treat, on Halloween does not appeal to everyone. But for those with a sense of humor, especially the older trick-or-treaters from Shepherd University, the twist on the tradition has proven incredibly popular.

“Some kids walk away with an expression like ‘whatever,’ but I do remind them, ‘You did say trick or treat,'” Wootton said. “It’s all in good fun.”

The band’s preference for giving out tricks on Halloween began three years ago, when one of its members, Todd Cotgreave, was planning to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, only to realize there was none on hand. What was available, was a box of random items he had been planning to donate to Goodwill.

“Someone came up and was like, ‘Do you have anything?’ and I said, ‘I have a plate,’ and he took the plate,” Cotgreave said. “I ended up giving away so many things from the box that night — a spatula, a stack of plates, some bowls — all of the kind of stuff you’d give to Goodwill. They liked it so much, they fought over them.”

Based on that experience, the band took away that a good number of people get a kick out of receiving a trick item, in the place of a predictable treat. And, with them being the only group in Shepherdstown not handing out treats on Halloween night, even those who do not get the joke could still walk away from the experience none the worse for wear.

“There’s $3,000 worth of candy being given out on German Street, so we know the kids are still getting their share of sweets tonight,” Cotgreave said.

Only a few minutes later, he ran out of Brussel sprouts to hand out — the last of the trick items — and bemoaned the fact that all they had left were some ordinary chocolate treats. Luckily for them, the trick-or-treaters were generally accepting of this change, happy to still get something to fill their buckets with at the stop.