Halloween is upon us, as are the hordes of trick-or-treaters.

Erik Chalhoub here, wishing readers a Happy Halloween. If you don’t have any plans tonight, check out our calendar of events in this week’s edition of the Weekly. Hopefully you already have a costume idea in mind, because time is running out.

This past Saturday, I was walking on Cannery Row in Monterey, eventually making my way to Lighthouse Avenue. It didn’t take very long to realize that I was a bit out of place with my hoodie and jeans. I was surrounded by Spider-Man, Princess Fiona, Super Mario, Harley Quinn and numerous other costumed characters.

The Lighthouse Avenue businesses were holding their annual trick-or-treating tradition, drawing many families into their doors with candy and leaving, hopefully, as future customers. Too often, we drive past so many businesses we didn’t know existed in our vehicles as we focus on the road (see David Schmalz’s cover story for a perfect example of this). By hitting the sidewalks on foot, we discover the many nooks and crannies within our communities.

Perhaps just as important, events such as this one give children a chance to be outside and explore the neighborhoods around them in a safe environment, when much too often, they are cooped up inside in front of screens.

I give kudos to those who spend their time (and money) to create these experiences for kids. (A study by the National Retail Federation, based on a survey of 8,045 people, determined that Halloween spending is estimated to hit $13.1 billion this year nationwide, $4.2 billion in decorations alone.) For an article in this week’s edition of the Weekly, I met Del Rey Oaks resident Paul Hastey, who goes all out with his Halloween display that keeps getting bigger and better every year.

Hastey says he does it to give kids something to look forward to on Halloween. It’s about creating memories that last a lifetime. Hastey is paying it forward, telling me that a decked-out home he visited as a child in rural Carmel Valley, where such attractions were few and far between, has stuck with him to this day.

However you celebrate tonight, make sure you do it safely. Enjoy.