By Khalida Sarwari
Witchy Walk-A-Bout, Saratoga’s time-honored trick-or-themed tradition, will be returning to downtown just before Halloween. As little girls put together their Elsa and Anna costumes from “Frozen” and the boys decide which Ninja Turtle to be this year, businesses in downtown are filling up their buckets with treats to hand out on Oct. 25.
The Saratoga Village Development Council-sponsored event takes place in the Village from 1 to 4 p.m. During those hours, kids can walk into any store or restaurant along Big Basin Way and request a treat. Every business is participating this year, said councilwoman and SVDC chairwoman Jill Hunter.
“All the businesses are delighted to do it, and every year they look forward to it,” Hunter said.
Costumes are encouraged, but not mandatory. Participants are, however, asked to bring their own bags to collect their candy.
Witchy Walk-A-Bout started more than a decade ago, according to Hunter, to bring children to the Village and give them an opportunity to see other children’s costumes and go trick-or-treating during the day. Most of the trick-or-treaters tend to be of pre-school age and are usually accompanied by their parents, who will often get into the festivities themselves. The event typically draws anywhere between 500 and 700 people, and not just from Saratoga, but from the surrounding cities as well, Hunter said.
While the children of Saratoga and their parents prepare to go all out for the Witchy Walk-A-Bout, Hunter said she will be celebrating Halloween in the same low-key fashion as in years past.
“I always put on a wig and a witch hat and that’s enough for me,” she said.
For more information about the SVDC, visitsaratogavillage.info.
