Spooky season is upon us, and one city has a plan to make it the best one yet. Halloween in Boston just got a little more festive, and a whole lot more safe, thanks to a program that will provide residents with grants to throw block parties in their neighborhoods.
So Bostonians, it’s time to break out your best Halloween party games and put up your most impressive decorations. If there’s a spooky, scary block party near me, you can bet all your trick-or-treat loot that I will be in attendance.
The idea for the grants didn’t simply appear like a friendly ghost. In fact, it came out of a number of similar past community-building programs.
“We’re basically building on the success of our summer block party grants,” said Nathalia Benitez Perez, Boston’s director of civic organizing, in conversation with local news station WBUR’s Sydney Ko.
Last fall, the city offered permits to residents for closed-street Halloween parties.
Now, the city has expanded the program to include the $250 Spooky Streets Grants, to help recipients have some affordable fun. The city suggests putting the money towards festive items like candy, pumpkins, decorations, and face paint. (Mom, can I please get a Jack-O-Lantern on my cheek?)
While it’s sure to be an absolute blast, the new program isn’t just meant to spread the Halloween spirit — it’s also a way to help keep residents safe. By closing off streets to cars during events like these, the city hopes to protect pedestrians, who studies show are at a greater risk of harm from traffic accidents on Halloween.
“October is one of those months that after 6 p.m. is all pitch dark. We have a lot of families out in the street, and we really want to make it a safe space for everybody,” Perez told WBUR.
Boston residents can find directions to apply for a Spooky Streets Grant on the city’s website — but act fast, because the deadline is next Friday, Sept. 20.
Perez also told WBUR that Bostonians can be on the lookout for an interactive map of block parties in the weeks before Halloween.
Count me in for a Boston Halloween this year! If you’re with me, just remember to “pahk your cah” at home.
