Thread: Ok, so I've decided to stimulate the economy...

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and get one of my life-long desires: a professional cotton-candy machine. You know, the kind they have at carnivals and fairs. I broke down and ordered it tonight. So here is my question: The cotton candy sugar comes in a zillion colors, one of which is orange...one might say a bright pumpkin color. So this gets me thinking.....in addition to using this thing for summer BBQ's and such....do you think this might work as a Halloween treat too? My husband volunteered to dress as the clown from "IT" and serve it up to the trick or treaters. I'm wondering though, if parents would let thier children accept a "home-made" treat like that? It would be a make to order type thing, with "IT" spinning the sugar as the kids watch. I would still give out the usual candy of course. The "Flossing-sugar" is surprisingly cheap anyway, so even if I got 100 kids (which I won't) it wouldn't cost me more than 5 bucks for the sugar supply. Also, I don't have a circus theme or anything,just a general haunted house..witches, ghosts, monsters, all the usual suspects. Would a clown look too out of place? I'd love some feedback from you guys. Thanks in advance!

Wow that seems like a tough one. I am not sure if I would let my kid eat cotton candy at night plus all the TOT candy. I think that most parents in this time and age wouldn't be too fond of the idea of home made cotton candy. However, this is what makes this country great, you can put up your cotton candy machine and if kids want some and their parents say yes, then where is the harm in that.

See? You can tell I don't have any kids...the thought of cotton candy being "extra sugar" didn't even cross my mind! lol. I'm lucky in the fact that I live in a relatively small town and most of our visitors know us or have been coming for years, so maybe the whole stranger-thing wouldn't be too much of an issue. I would make my husband wear food service gloves anyway of course, just to maintain hygeine. I think maybe I just rationalized my purchase by saying "Well I can use it for Halloween TOO you know!" lol

I don't think anyone ever needs to rationalize a cotton candy machine purchase. Or is that just me.

I like your way of thinking. I'll remember that when I start to debate the snow cone machine ;-)

Just an FYI. At Transworld, they were giving out cotton candy that fluoresces under black light. I Googled black light cotton candy and couldn't find a specific product. So I'm thinking that perhaps some of the flavors naturally are fluorescent under black light. If so, it would be cool to have a black light by your candy machine so kids can see it. They won't forget it, that's for sure.

I think I could let my kids have a little extra sugar one night out of the year. I think that's a great idea. Maybe you could make a stencil and airbrush a quick jack-o-lantern face onto each one with some food coloring.

See, stuff like that is the reason I have such fond memories of Halloween as a kid. Only one or two "special" houses along the route can give the kids in your neighborhood the same good memories. Certainly worth the price of a cotton candy machine, in my opinion. Great idea.

Do you mind telling us how much a cotton candy machine costs? I think it's a great idea for giving out on Halloween! I would recommend plastic bags like you get at carnivals so the kids have the option of eating it later.

I think the cotton cany idea is great, and i wish i could get one also. I would definately make a creepy clown prop to be standing there with it though.

I personally like the idea of offering cotton candy to the TOT's, especially if given out by an evil clown If the parents don't want their kids to have any (there are bound to be some), all they have to say is "no thanks", though I think many of them would probably allow it. It won't hurt to at least try your idea. Who knows, maybe you'll start a new tradition in your neighborhood...