Kids and adults celebrate Halloween at Boo! at The Bay

The Ward family always attends Fright Night at St. Armands Circle, but the popular event was cancelled this year due to Hurricane Milton. 

As a result, they decided to attend Boo! at The Bay | Family Halloween Celebration, another popular celebration where they could gather with the community in costume. 

The family, including Tricia and Jerod Ward and their daughter Violet Ward, 8, came dressed as characters from Disney's "The Descendants," accompanied by Violet's cousin Izac Bermudez, 13.

Held at The Bay on Oct. 25, the event, now in its third year, drew a large turnout of kids and adults.

“Isn’t this a great turnout?” said attendee Karen Mills. “I think people just wanted something wonderful after the storm. We needed happy.”

On offer were trick-or-treating stations by Gulf Coast Community Foundation, many of them located on a "not-really haunted" decorated trail on the park's Mangrove Walkway. 

Other offerings included free pumpkins for the first 1,500 kids with Sarasota Performing Arts Foundation teachers to assist with decorating, as well as food trucks, a screening of “Despicable Me 4" and a sensory-friendly experience with reduced crowds and noises. 

“We usually come to this event every year since it started,” said attendee Marc Jackson. “The kids love it. They love this park. They love when they do the thing with the witches’ hats on the (Ibis Playground).”