A downtown Halloween tradition that nearly disappeared from Lompoc’s fall calendar is back, but under new leadership. The event, set for Saturday, October 25, from 1 to 3 p.m., will feature trick-or-treating along South H Street and free family activities at Centennial Park.
Local shop owner Jessica McAninch, who runs Thrift Central Coast, said she decided to take the lead when she learned the Chamber of Commerce would not be hosting the event this year.
“After talking with the people that put it on and finding out that they weren’t going to do it, I knew I wanted to do it along with other small businesses,” McAninch said.
McAninch began reaching out to other merchants in Old Town, rallying support before the city officially stepped in to coordinate.
“We get to see our friends that we haven’t seen in a while, people that come shop and just kind of local community support,” she said.
Sue Slavens with the City of Lompoc said Parks and Recreation wanted to make sure families still had a safe place to celebrate Halloween.
“When the Chamber wasn’t able to do it, we decided we can just step in and do the whole thing so the kids would still have a place to do trick-or-treating,” Slavens said.
The city will close part of South H Street and host free games and activities for kids at Centennial Park. Slavens said more than 30 local businesses are already signed up to participate.
Devika Stalling, the outgoing president and CEO of the Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce, said the organization’s absence this year stems from an unsigned contract with the city, one that typically provides funding for community events.
“We are still in negotiations after 15 weeks of originally going to council. We still don’t have a signed contract,” Stalling said. “Because we currently don’t have a contract with them, we have opted to not do that right now.”
Mayor Jim Mosby confirmed the Chamber did not sign the agreement for this year’s community events, leaving the city to take full responsibility for hosting the Halloween celebration.
“That contract provides a level of support that we financially cannot afford to do on our own,” Stalling added. “So without that support from the city for that particular event, Parks and Rec has agreed to do it this year.”
For small business owner Rachel Neil of Jupiter’s Spark Collection, the collaboration between shop owners and the city highlights what makes Lompoc special.
“I was extremely excited when she came to me because this was something I was really bummed out about, that they were not continuing,” Neil said. “It kind of grasps people’s attention. They see something new or rediscover a business they hadn’t visited in a while.”
McAninch says there aren’t many community events that are offered for children in Lompoc, emphasizing just how important it is to keep this tradition going.
“There’s always going to be kids in Lompoc, so this community event is extremely important because it supports our children and it shows them that we're here for them."
The Small Business Treat Trail will take place Saturday, October 25, from 1 to 3 p.m. in Old Town Lompoc. Families can visit participating storefronts for candy and head to Centennial Park for free activities.
