SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 ~ 11AM TO 1PM *
If you wonder if Napa still puts locals first, all you need to do is look at the yearly community events calendar, and you’ll see that locals are front and center. Nothing exemplifies this better than Hometown Halloween, when Napans are invited to dress their kids (and themselves if they wish) in their Halloween costumes, and come Downtown Napa to Trick or Treat.
On Saturday, October 30 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., the sidewalks will be packed with children looking for a sweet handout. Stores that display black and orange balloons are inviting those kids to come in, where the odds are really good that they will get a treat; not a trick. This will be the seventeenth year of the event. Even if you don’t have children, get yourself a coffee or cool drink, find a good place to sit, and watch the fun.
When the event began, it was intended to provide children with a safe place to trick or treat. “There has always been a little concern about the safety of children who were trick or treating. The Downtown Napa Association (DNA) thought it would be a great idea to offer a safe place to go, and the event was born. It’s been big since the beginning,” said Bill LaLiberte, past-president of the DNA. “And, it’s free,” he added with a laugh.
Diane Bishofberger, Bank of Marin Senior Relationship Manager for the Napa area, sat on the DNA board that considered adding the event. She is a diehard Disney fan and volunteered to lead the charge, and make sure that the day was one that children would love (and that Mickey would be proud of!)
Thanks to the Bank of Marin staff, characters from Disney and other movies that conjour up the Halloween spirit, have shown up over the years downtown for photos. This year, trick or treaters may get the chance to pose with Woody from Toy Story. They could find a couple of photogenic characters from Harry Potter there as well. Backdrops will set the stage to make those pictures really pop. What a perfect Halloween!
“People are so creative with their costumes, and the kids are just delightful. Some of the youngsters who trick or treated in the initial years now have children of their own. It is a community, family fun, fall afternoon,” said Anette Madsen, co-owner of Anette’s Chocolates, who has participated from the beginning.
None of this would be possible without the local businesses, who buy candy by the ton just for this event. We count on support from our sponsors, especially Bank of Marin, whose staff spends countless hours making sure this event is one that kids will remember all year. And thank you to the Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine, who has supported this and all local Downtown Napa events from the beginning. And a big shout out to the residents of Napa who dress up in costume and join in the fun to make this a fun, frightening and ghoulish day.