More than 20 downtown businesses handed out thousands of pieces of candy during the event from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Tackett said, with some reporting to have handed out more than 4,000 pieces.
“There were definitely several thousand people down this year. From a candy perspective, we saw about 70% more children this year at our businesses,” said Dan Freeman, co-owner of Le Torte Dolci Bakery, Salato Deli, and Crust & Company.
Tackett and Freeman started this event in 2020 as an effort to get people back out and downtown after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nearly 40 businesses and organizations overall participated in the event, in which over 20 of them have a downtown shop, restaurant or office.
“We welcomed back DJ Chill and the zombie dancers, Balloon Dog events did a fantastic Hocus Pocus themed balloon display, and the Sanderson Sisters had a consistent line of photo opportunities with the guests,” Tackett said. “And additional scary characters walked around to increase the thrill of the evening.”
This year, the event also included participation from the Springfield Police Division, Clark County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Fire Rescue Division, and Springfield Twp. Fire Department.
This year, Fountain Avenue was the only road closed and the intersections at High and Main streets remained open, but Freeman said next year they hope they can close those intersections as well to improve safety.
Both Freeman and Tackett said they want to expand and improve the event for next year, including increasing the hours, expanding the route, adding safety measures, providing more entertainment, increasing business participation, and improving the foot traffic flow.
“Tracey and I will work together to gather feedback from participants and come up with some of the best options for improving next year,” Freeman said.
About the Author
