Legions of miniature superheros, masked villains, vampires, zombies, cartoon characters, celebrities and more peacefully invaded downtown Morgan Hill with their grownup enablers on Halloween night, while merchants held them at bay with free candy and street games.
The Morgan Hill Downtown Association hosted the annual Safe Trick or Treat event Thursday night, closing Monterey Road to automobile traffic allowing costumed children and their parents to safely pursue confectioneries and show off their threads.
Mini baseball, face painting and other games were offered throughout Monterey Road, and the Kiwanis club turned an empty lot on Third Street into a haunted pirate’s cove.
For the first time this year, Safe Trick or Treat also featured live music, with Blue Dog performing in front of the former site of Simple Beverages.
It was also the first night for the new Thursday night farmers market, which will continue year-round from 3 to 7 p.m. at the corner of Monterey Road and Third Streets.
MHDA president Brad Jones said the feedback from the trick-or-treating so far has been positive, and organizers were able to work through some logistical glitches including a miscue on the preferred timing of the street closure.
“The weather was fantastic, and people seemed to have a great time,” Jones said. “Having the band seemed to be really exciting, and for such short notice on the farmers market, I thought that went well.”