Mayor Michelle Wu and the Community Engagement Cabinet's Office of Civic Organizing have announced that applications for the Spooky Streets Grant Program are now open, as reported by the City of Boston's official website. The program is designed to bolster neighborhood camaraderie and festive celebrations by offering $300 mini-grants to residents and community groups for throwing Halloween and Fall and Harvest block parties. The funding is intended to cover essentials such as candy, pumpkins, decorations, and face paint.
The grants aim to facilitate fun and safe community events. Mayor Wu expressed her enthusiasm for the program, which has been well-received in the past. "I'm excited to bring back Boston’s very popular Spooky Streets program, which has helped families and neighborhoods safely celebrate Halloween and fall with their friends and community through lively block parties," Mayor Wu stated, according to the City of Boston’s news release. The program is part of the larger initiative to make Boston a more inclusive and joyous city for all its residents.
Earlier in the summer, the Mayor's Office of Civic Organizing distributed 110 grants totaling $61,700 across 18 neighborhoods in Boston through the City’s Block Party Grant Program, with support from the Cummings Foundation. According to the City of Boston’s news release, Nathalia Benitez-Perez, Director of the Office of Civic Organizing, highlighted the impact of these grants, "The Spooky Streets Grant gives neighbors the chance to transform their streets into festive, traffic-free spaces and build new traditions during the Fall and Harvest season."
For those interested in applying, the City of Boston has delineated the process: one must first apply for the Play Street Closing Permit and then for the Spooky Streets mini-grant. Eligibility criteria require that block parties be free, open to the public, and hosted on public streets – not in parks or private lots. The events should take place in the week leading up to Halloween, from October 24 to November 2, though they do not have to specifically be Halloween-themed.
Residents like Philip Cheng of Dorchester have previously benefitted from the grants, which have amplified the celebratory atmosphere in their neighborhoods. "Last year’s grant made it possible for us to bring our neighborhood together in a really special way...It also made the neighborhood very festive with children in bright necklaces, rings, and bracelets," Cheng told the City of Boston. Brianna Millor, Chief of the Community Engagement Cabinet, underscored the sense of unity that block parties sponsored by programs like Spooky Streets bring to Boston's neighborhoods, "With Mayor Wu's support, block parties have become a vital part of Boston, uniting neighborhoods in a joyous way," the news release recounted.
The City of Boston has worked to simplify the permit application process for these events by collaborating with the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics (MONUM), allowing more activities without extra permits. A Block Party Planning Guide is available, and those interested can visit the boston.gov/spooky-streets webpage for more details and to apply. The deadline to apply for a Spooky Streets grant is Monday, September 22 at 5:00 p.m.
