Keen on a ‘Dream Halloween’ - Page 2

To ease social distancing concerns, Jennifer created a neighborhood map so that "if people were worried about trick‐or‐treaters coming close, they would know which houses were participating," she added.

Neighborhood scavenger hunts have also proven to be popular activities, particularly for those neighbors who prefer not to go out trick‐or‐treating. Fleshing out the Highlands' Halloween program, "I ask people to put up decorations by a certain day, and then we walk around and take pictures," says Jennifer. "I then arrange all the photos on a piece of paper, so you only see a portion of each decoration."

After a volunteer distributes a printout to neighbors' homes, parents are able to then take their kids around the neighborhood prior to Halloween to find out where each decoration is located. Whoever finds all the decorated houses wins a prize. Neighbor Elizabeth Mitev, a local realtor, gives 'goody bags' to everyone who provides all the correct answers, so there's something for everyone.

Neighbors happily divide up tasks in preparation for the big day, Jennifer reports. "It's nice having neighbors volunteer to do something special, or to go above and beyond a little bit," she says appreciatively. Kara Kemmler Woodford recently took over coordinating the scavenger hunt.

Then there are those eye‐popping Halloween decorations. Audrey Katheryn Aronoff, a former neighbor who worked for Disney, in recent years painted a large‐scale 'A Nightmare Before Christmas' backdrop in front of her garage; and, for a different year, she made stand‐up characters with face cut‐outs that neighbors could pose behind.

Last year, neighbors Mitch and Amber Counsell transformed their atrium into a Halloween hideout crisscrossed with spider webs. And neighbor Ly Baker, who's a florist, "made me these spooky flower arrangements with grays and greens and weird pods, kind of fancy with candelabra flowers," says Jennifer. "And last year our family made an ice cream truck."

This year the Bucks have an idea in mind where imaginations will be able to travel the world to various exotic locations.

"I have all of these international flag decorations, so I'm gonna do candy from other countries, and little boxes with stickers like [travel] decals," she says. "I'm excited to use them. We'll have a baggage claim area to pick up the candy."

Reaching out to neighbors is key to a 'Dream Halloween,' Jennifer has discovered. "There are six or so families here with kids all the same age that all play together, so we have a lot of fun. It's a great community."

Living in a 'closed tract' is another benefit. "In some neighborhoods, houses run on and on [beyond the Eichlers], and never seem to end," she comments. "Here, it's the perfect amount of homes, and you can do a normal loop and not venture out beyond it."

Thanks to Balboa Highlands' Facebook group, most neighbors know each other even if they haven't actually met in person, making the whole experience feel safer.

Building community, Jennifer agrees, is a process that evolves over time. Initially, a neighborhood might find that people are shy about participating, but as the saying goes, 'Build it and they will come.' Before long, neighbors inevitably begin haunting the 'hood and hitting the trick‐or‐treat trail themselves.

"It's always funny getting people to sign up," says Jennifer. "But then I'll put the map on the Facebook page, and oh man, I get excited.

Also, she adds, when people pitch in with an admirable contribution, either through volunteering or decorating, "it makes others want to do just the same."

Have yourself a 'Dream Halloween'!