Long Beach is inviting locals to get their spook on with a free Neighborhood Halloween Carnival this Oct. 31, aiming to weave a tighter web of community ties. From 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Silverado Park, the City's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Marine, in cahoots with the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability, is pulling all the stops for a ghoul time for families. The event is part of the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program, focusing on community connection in the delightful guise of Halloween.
"The Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program is about bringing people together and creating more opportunities for community connection," Mayor Rex Richardson explained in a statement. The festivity will host an array of carnival games, arts, and crafts stations, and contests designed to charm residents of all ages. The Neighborhood Halloween Carnival is not just any pumpkin in the patch. For the attendees, it represents an opportunity for local youth to dive into community engagement and for residents to knit closer neighborhood connections.
During the event, the community will be treated to an assortment of activities like haunted hoop games, balloon animals, and a cakewalk contest. There's even a glow party costume contest that attendees are encouraged to join. The Passport card initiative, handed out to participants, is particularly clever; it's a fun incentive for mingling, spreading cheer, and cultivating the spirit of unity in the community.
These festivities serve a dual purpose, aligning with the goals of a Neighbor-To-Neighbor event and sponsored by California's bigwigs like the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. The collaboration illustrates an inventive stitch in California's volunteer fabric, aiming to amplify involvement in local affairs. Interested residents can find out more about these events on the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program website.
The Neighbor-to-Neighbor program has its foundations in a hefty $500,000 grant—courtesy of the State of California—and Long Beach is one of nine fortunate agencies to make the cut in a competitive statewide selection process to support and foster grassroots community initiatives. For more information on participating, or to get a fuller picture of the Neighborhood Halloween Carnival's offerings, Long Beach's residents can ring up the Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine at 562.570.1675.
