Editor,
The town is already talking about Halloween plans, and the CAPC has doled out funds for promotion of events for the entire month that declare us to be “Halloween City.” This is a friendly reminder to your paper and any other public entities that the candy giveaway on the upper loop is not a city-funded event in need of additional promotion.
Last year when residents of the upper loop saw print and website material promoting our neighborhood as the place to go for trick-or-treat fun, we knew we had a potential problem on our hands in the sheer numbers of goblins we would be feeding from our own pockets. We handled the situation with the White Street Candy Bank. Donations poured in from all over town and were happily dispersed down to the last gumdrop.
The candy giveaway is something we always enjoy – and we want to keep it that way. So if you can help us spread the word to anyone adding October 31 to their calendar of public events as a day to bring the family to the Upper Loop for candy, we remind them we are private citizens spending our own money to please a crowd that has reached critical mass.
Last year we counted 1200 trick-or-treaters, and noticed we became somewhat of a candy-passing machine, losing time to chat with kids and admire their creative efforts. Many neighbors agree that if crowds get any larger we will need to consider things like traffic safety measures and public restrooms.
There are ways to keep this event fun. I have suggested to the CAPC that if they plan to include the giveaway in event calendars the neighborly thing to do would be to help us by: a) providing shuttles and encouraging visitors to park at the Community Center to control the crowd and keep the streets flowing, b) making large donations to the Candy Bank, and c) sponsoring a carnival at the end of the line to keep the crowd moving as well as reward the neighborhood for the work we do. It could even be a fundraiser for the Community Center.
Please do not think we are unhappy or unwilling to participate. It’s just grown to the point where it should not depend completely on private citizens to pull this off well. Also please understand I am speaking for myself and a small group of neighbors, and these thoughts may not represent an entire district. We will contact you again in October to announce details about the Candy Bank and our plans for a fun and safe neighborhood Halloween. Thank you.
Mark Hughes