What does Halloween mean to you? Are you a parent who looks forward to dressing up your kids for trick-or-treating? Perhaps you’re that person eating everyone else’s candy while sitting comfortably in your house without a costume waiting for others to bring home more loot. You could be the one who loves to carve the pumpkin and display your mastery on the front porch for all your friends to see. Whether you are 10 years old or 100, Halloween is a holiday that has something for everyone. Here are a few tips to plan your Halloween in Venice.
Joke: Why was the skeleton too spooked to go to the haunted house on Rialto Street? He didn’t have any guts.
Top Spots For Trick-Or-Treating in Venice
In Venice, there are many top spots for trick-or-treaters but three favorites are Rialto Street, the Silver Strand, and the Venice Canals. Every year on Rialto, the local residents put in a few dollars each to close off the street between Cabrillo and Riviera for trick-or-treaters. “It’s the mecca for trick-or-treaters in LA,” said Nick Fowler, a known surfer in the area and Rialto block resident of twelve years.
According to a local mother of two, Nisa Kove, “As my kids got older, we stuck with the canals in the early hours and explored new spots later in the evening, including Rialto which definitely had some intense haunted houses. One of my kids loved this and the other was a bit scared. No matter your tolerance for spookiness, Rialto is a fun street with great decorations, lots of friendly neighbors and entertaining people watching,” said Kove, whose children are nine and ten.
On both Rialto and on the Silver Strand, many postwar bungalows are the perfect size for pint-size bodies; short walkways and often one-story, one-family houses, provide the right distances for little feet on this October eve. The Venice Canal streets are also ideal because there are so many walk streets that parents have fewer worries about cars.
“A new favorite is the Silver Strand area. Residents here have a longtime tradition of opening their garages and setting up Halloween displays and mini haunted houses,” said Kove.
Trick-or-treating isn’t just fun for the kids. “I'd say that Venice is one of the coolest areas in LA to stay home and hand out candy to kids. I and my family really enjoyed it over the years; kids come from all over the area because our neighborhood has always been welcoming and safe for kids to walk around in and trick or treat,” said Marco Bollinger, a lifelong resident of South Venice.
Joke: Why do black cats say Venice is the scariest place to trick-or-treat? Because it’s Dogtown
Locals Halloween Costume Advice for Parents
“I love when my kids get creative on Halloween and come up with costume ideas that aren’t just purchased online. “Stranger Things” is popular in our house this year. I’m thinking 70’s stripes and fake blood” said Kove.
Joke: Why didn’t the skateboarder skate on Halloween? He didn’t want to get a Boo Boo.
Top Candy Choices for Local Trick-or-Treaters
When asked their top candy choice, some local kids said, “Skittles!” in unison. Their other favorites include Snickers, Nerds, Sour Patch, Twix, and Warheads.
“I think mini Snickers are a good treat so I notice kids are stoked when we're home,” said resident Bollinger who grew up and still lives in Venice.
Joke: Why did the dead skateboarder decide to go trick-or-treating? Because his Mummy said he couldn’t surf.
Nearby Pumpkin Patches
It turns out that pumpkin carving began with the Irish who originally carved turnips on Halloween to ward off evil spirits. Try Lopez Ranch Pumpkin Patch located in the Methodist Church parking lot. It opens October 1st and closes at 9 pm each night.
Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble - Shakespeare
A Cup of Halloween
If you want to swap out your witches brew for something a little tastier, try this pumpkin latte; recipe contributed to the article by Tom's on Abbot Kinney.
● 2 tablespoons half-and-half
● 2 teaspoons white sugar, or to taste
● 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
● 1 cup coffee
Mix half-and-half, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together in a coffee mug. Pour coffee into mug; stir to blend. Top with whipped cream.
Hex: Means to cast a spell
Need a break from candy? Make the most of your pumpkin with this yummy pumpkin seed recipe:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Wash pumpkin seeds in a colander to remove the pulp ...
3. In a small bowl combine pumpkin seeds, olive oil, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper.
4. Lightly grease a sheet pan with olive oil and place seeds on it
5. Bake until the seeds are toasted and crunchy, about 20 to 30 minutes. Courtesy of Google.
Joke: Why do witches fly on brooms? Because surfboards are too heavy.
Planning to pick a movie get into the Halloween Spirits - Here are some top retro choices:
- Scream (1996)
- It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
- Beetlejuice (1988)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Halloweentown (1998)
- Tim Burton’s The Night Before Christmas (1993)
- Sleepy Hollow (1999)
Caveat: No ghosts were interviewed in the making of this article, they said they preferred to wait for the Afterlife Edition.
This article was originally published in Venice Living Magazine, October 2019. Photo courtesy of Linda Perry.
Leave a comment