Families head to Sarasota's Cherokee Park for trick-or-treating

By Ian Swaby
| 10:05 a.m. November 2, 2025

Andre Herke, Thomas Herke, 3, and Jennifer Herke dressed as pumpkins.

Sarasota
Neighbors

It was the first Halloween in Cherokee Park for Tara Edling's family, who moved there from Harbor Acres after they lost their home, including their Halloween decor, last hurricane season.

Nonetheless, the new home at 1752 North Drive still had thorough decorations for Halloween.

Edling created a "Sleep Hollow" setup that included a gate, a graveyard with fog, and a figure of the Headless Horseman, among other elements.

She said after talking with the neighbors, the family had an idea of what to expect from Halloween in one of Sarasota's most popular neighborhoods for trick-or-treating.

"We thought it was big, but then the neighbors basically told us, think three times what you're thinking. So then we went bigger," she said.

She said the display is ultimately for the kids, although all ages enjoy the block party-type experience in the neighborhood.

Kiana Nahale, 2, reaches for some candy.

Jack Mclane, 5, dressed as a bunch of grapes.

Tara Edling's home had a "Sleepy Hollow" theme.

Lilia Treidder, 2, greets Thomas Herke, 3.

Myla Reardon, 2, Aiden Jendelund, 2, and Thomas Herke, 3, gather in a wagon, while Jendelund reaches for some Halloween candy from his father Robert Jendelund.

Betty, Mark Ramos' English Bulldog, greeted trick-or-treaters.

Betty, Mark Ramos' English Bulldog, meets Oliver Gantus, 1, and his parents Eddie and Sarah Gantus.

Christopher Markijohn and his daughter Bethany Markijohn, 3, walk through the neighborhood.

The Delgado family including Remy, 9, Milana, 10, Andres, 14, Danielle, Hector, 5 months, and Paul, dressed as pirates.

Chloe Ramussen, 6, plays with a control panel on her spaceship. She wants to be an astronaut when she grows up.

Anniston Shrock, 10, and Sutton Purser, 11, dressed as foxes.

Jason Massey, 9, dressed as someone being captured by an alien.

Sloane Varrieur, 1, enjoys the wagon ride around the neighborhood.

Sloane Varrieur's sister Grace Varrieur, 2, enjoys a lollipop.

Dunja Wilson and Andrew Wilson walk through the neighborhood as an Oompa Loompa and Willy Wonka.

Elliott Friedman, 10, heads along a driveway with some candy.

Karen and Paul Chapman, hwo recently visited Africa, greeted trick-or-treaters as zebras.

Asher Herbert, 5, plays with a lightsaber.

Jason Massey, 9, Carter Guttridge, 10, Liam Santeford, 10, and Grayson Faber, 10, perform a trade of candy.

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.