Halloween is in two days and if you’re planning to walk around the neighborhood with your kids, family or friends, check out the first-ever West Philly Fright Registry created by a West Philly resident, Dyresha Harris.

Dozens of West Philly residents and some organizations have registered their address for various spooky season happenings or activities since our first post about it in early October. You can browse the database or use the map (see the screenshot above), just enter your zip code in the search window, to find out what your neighbors are up to on Halloween – from giving out candy, to decorations, to events.

More information on how to use the Registry is available here. And to find out how Dyresha came up with this “spooktacular” idea, click here.

Also, don’t forget about the annual Spruce Hill Halloween Tot Parade (more info is here).

The 2024 Spruce Hill Halloween Tot Parade (Photo by West Philly Local)

The annual Spruce Hill Halloween Parade is back on October 31 (for the 27th time!) and we can’t wait to see our little neighbors showing off their creative spooky/funny/cute costumes. If you haven’t participated in this event before or need a reminder, here are some details:

The gathering for the parade begins at 45th and Larchwood at 4 p.m. The parade will kick off at 4:30 p.m. and head east on Larchwood. The parade concludes with a party at “Little Osage” (42nd and Osage) where participants are treated with cider and baked goods provided by local businesses and neighbors.

The long-time organizer, the Spruce Hill Community Association, is inviting “little tots” (6 and under) and their parents or guardians to join them at the parade and party. This year’s event is supported by such local businesses as Lil’ Pop Shop, Dotties Donuts, Loco Pez, Cleo Bagels, Knockbox Cafe, and more.

After the event, if you’re taking your kids trick-or-treating or looking for some entertainment for yourself, check out the West Philly Fright Registry created by a local Halloween enthusiast.

Come Tuesday, hundreds of costumed tots and their parents or guardians will descend upon West Philly streets for trick-or-treating. Neighbors usually buy a lot of sweet treats to give away but do they always buy the “right” sweets?

As you may have noticed, many kids are very selective about what kind of candy they want. This Halloween, a group of University of Pennsylvania students will be conducting a Halloween Data Project, trying to identify the most popular candy for West Philly kids.

“The general plan is to walk around on Tuesday during trick or treat, get permission from parents/guardians first and then ask kids their favorite candy,” writes Ethan Markwalter, a senior at Penn studying statistics. “We were also thinking about noting their costume too. For example, that way we know Batman likes snickers.”

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The Spruce Hill Community Association is inviting families to kick off their trick-or-treating festivities at Clark Park, where the annual Halloween Tot Parade will be held this year. The decision to move the parade, which traditionally kicks off at 45th and Baltimore and proceeds down 45th St. to Osage Ave., was made because of COVID safety precautions.

The 2021 parade will take place around Clark Park and will not culminate in the traditional Osage Ave. block party, according to the organizers. Gathering begins at 4 p.m. at 43rd and Baltimore and the parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. The Penn Drum Line will participate in the event, and there will be treats and other fun activities.

The organizers are asking attendees to wear masks – the scary kind and the COVID-safe kind – and to follow social distancing guidelines.

UPDATE (10/24/2020): Spruce Hill Community Association has launched a neighborhood Scavenger Hunt. Here are more details:

Spread throughout Spruce Hill are the 10 letters that spell “Spruce Hill.” All you have to do is find all 10 letters! Full instructions, along with clues and a submission form, can be found online, or you can print out a hard copy of the form and submit your answers in the mail slot at the Spruce Hill Center, located at 257 South 45th St. The first 100 entries with all 10 correct locations will receive a small prize supporting one of neighborhood businesses after the hunt closes. Deadline for submission is Sunday, Nov. 1 at midnight.

Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) has canceled this year’s Halloween Tot Parade, an event that had been held for 23 years. Instead, neighborhood residents are invited to participate in a virtual Spruce Hill Halloween Parade, which will take place online at www.sprucehillca.org. Submit photos of your Halloween costumes or decorations via email to shcahalloween@sharypic.com, or tag your Instagram or Twitter posts with #SHCAHalloween from October 30 to November 1 and you’ll appear in the virtual parade!

SHCA is also hosting a Spruce Hill neighborhood scavenger hunt, which will launch this weekend. There will be a bunch of great prizes to those that successfully complete the search.  Continue Reading

The annual Spruce Hill Halloween Parade has been cancelled. (Photo West Philly Local)

As was expected the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) has cancelled its annual Halloween Tot Parade, a tradition that goes back 23 years. The post-parade block party at the “Little Osage” where neighbors offer sweets and treats to children, has also been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

However, folks will still be able to celebrate in a socially distanced manner, according to SHCA Board President Evan Johnstone. Some alternative plans are currently in the works to help keep the Halloween spirit alive, including  house decorating, a kid-friendly, Halloween themed activity, and trick-or-treating options while maintaining a safe distance. We’ll let you know when plans are finalized and more details are available.  Continue Reading