Kids and adults celebrate Halloween at Boo! at The Bay

By Ian Swaby
| 9:40 p.m. October 25, 2024

Pamela Leon, Atlas Leon, 2, Arlo Leon, 1 and Joseph Leon

Sarasota
Neighbors

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).”

Atlas Jackson, 4 and Neo Jackson, 2, came dressed as robots.

Sean Johnston and Sophie Johnston, 3, came in complimenting costumes.

The Mangrove Walkway was decorated for the event.

Sisters Addie Lesnick, 5, Ellie Lesnick, 5 and Penny Lesnick, 7 came as the Sanderson Sisters.

Rachel Denton; Tami Lanham; her husband Philip Lanham, who is president and CEO of Gulf Coast Community Foundation and Emily Joslin were among those who staffed the foundation's trick-or-treat stations.

Tricia Ward, Violet Ward, 8 and Jerod Ward came dressed as characters from Disney's "The Descendants."

Tim and Heather Saba came as Bob Ross and a painting.

Ariel Gibbs, 6, holds her decorated pumpkin.

Silas Devereuz, 9, Angela De La Rosa and Wells Faulkner, 1, work together on a Jenga tower.

Matt Manahan, Russ Bechtloff and Karen Mills.

Charlotte McKinniss, 5, plays on the Ibis Playground, where the two ibises, Sara and Zota, wore witches' hats.

James Cowgill, 3 and Zeke Fernandes, 3, trick-or-treat at one of the stations by Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

Lily Reusch, 6, practices her hula hooping skills.

author

Ian Swaby

Ian Swaby is the Sarasota neighbors writer for the Observer. Ian is a Florida State University graduate of Editing, Writing, and Media and previously worked in the publishing industry in the Cayman Islands.