Well over a thousand kids, with parents in tow, packed the sidewalks of the Greenwood and Phinney Ridge business districts for Safe Trick or Treat today. The annual event is sponsored by the Greenwood-Phinney Chamber of Commerce.
The carnival games at the 5th annual Harvest Fest sponsored by Green Bean Coffee House, became a focal point for the kids.
The games used in previous years were stored in the basement of the Eleanor Roosevelt Building, which was deliberately set on fire Oct. 23. Organizers were relieved to find the games survived the blaze, probably in part because three feet of water from the fire hoses filled the storage area.
Community volunteers stepped up to clean up the games and staff the event.
Here’s one of the salvaged games:
And here’s one of several new ones people hurriedly built or donated after the fire, along with lots of candy for prizes.
All along the route, we kept seeing calls for donations for the businesses victimized by the fire, including this cauldron outside Terra Bella.
There was even a bake sale outside SPACE: A Design Build Collective. Neighbors donated the baked goods and 100 percent of the proceeds went to the Greenwood Fire Relief Fund.
Besides that serious note, the event had a carnival feel, with plenty of business owners and parents getting into the spirit, dressed up as every creature or person you could think of, including this guy outside of Cowboys & Angels Salon.
This guy had Michael Jackson and his moves down pat:
And we liked this juxtaposition of a fairy princess and a zombie:
While the decent fall weather held up, the candy didn’t for some businesses not prepared for the influx of kids. Several of these signs popped up later in the afternoon.
Trust us though, there was still plenty of candy to go around. And with many of those same kids heading out tonight for neighborhood trick or treating, we’re pretty sure they’ll have no problem getting their share of sugary treats. Happy Halloween!
