What makes Topeka ‘Halloween Headquarters’?

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Topeka doesn’t just celebrate Halloween; it brings the spooky holiday to life.

Each year, the Topeka Mars “Halloween Headquarters” makes and distributes millions of fun-sized candies, the treats children grab from plastic pumpkins across the country.

“Anything that goes into a Halloween variety bag is probably made right here in Topeka. So, we start early,” said Site Director, Brian Pardo. “We start usually in the spring, March, start making product for Halloween, and we continue all the way through the summer, all the way up until Halloween.”

The plant opened in 2014 and employs hundreds of Topekans. They’re responsible for candies like Skittles, Starburst and Three Musketeers.

But the “fun-size” candy plays a big role in putting the capital city on the map.

“Now we feel really like a big part of the community. It’s been a great partnership with Topeka. And so, we’ve really kind of just embraced that whole Halloween theme,” said Pardo. “And since we are Halloween headquarters for Mars, we’re trying to be Halloween headquarters for Topeka as well.”

When kids around the country sort through their Halloween candy, Topeka can claim a special role in making sure every bag is filled with a little extra sweetness.

“Every day, every morning, we have to review the quality of the candy, and we have to taste it to make sure that it passes sensory,” said Pardo. And so, the colors have to be right. You know, everything has to be perfect. The packaging has to be good. Yeah. So quality is a big deal ”

There’s a good chance your candy came from Topeka, and you might even grab it from one of the capital city’s many ‘Trunk or Treat’ celebrations.

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