Canyonites Prepare for Halloween Fun

By Laurel Busby

News & Information Editor

Around 6 p.m. on Halloween, some Rustic Canyon families will be gathering at the corner of Latimer and Haldeman Roads for a trick-or-treating adventure through the neighborhood.

The group invites people to join them or instead put out a pumpkin or other decorations along their route, which will go via Latimer, to Mesa Road, then descend the stairs to travel along East and West Rustic, before looping up Sycamore back to Mesa.

“Everybody is welcome to start with us,” The Canyon Alliance President Eric Balfour said. “We’re hoping to get the word out, and we want to encourage people to stay local and get to know their neighbors.”

Last year, which was the first Halloween after the Palisades Fire, the turnout was strong in the neighborhood, Balfour said. Many homes distributed candy, although not all. One neighbor brought out a guitar to entertain his spooky visitors instead. So, no treats were required to join the festivities.

The celebration will begin at 10 a.m. with a Halloween carnival for youngsters at Rustic Canyon Recreation Center, which will be co-hosting the event with the Palisades Recreation Center. The carnival will end at 2 p.m.

If Rustic seems a little far during the busy Halloween night, other Canyon families may prefer to create their own trick-or-treating routes closer to home, which can be a fun way for neighbors to get to know each other and the children who live around them, Balfour said.

“There are lots of things we're trying to improve around the neighborhood,” Balfour said. “When you think about traffic in the neighborhood and people making sure they stop at stop signs—knowing these kids and having them walk up to your door and be a part of your life, it makes it a lot easier to want to stop at that stop sign. All of this is about building a stronger and better community.”