Many of the local small businesses participated in the first ever Halloween event in town. Lorraine (from Lorraine’s Pet Supply) decided it was time to rally the businesses to distribute candy to our town’s children.

I’ve lived in Anza for six plus years and I’ve always had to travel "down the hill" to Temecula or Palm Desert to trick-or-treat with my son. He’s now seven-years-old.

To my delight, so many families heard about this and walked up and down the streets to these small businesses with my son and I for the first time ever.

How fantastic it was that the kids would walk into a business and the staff would pass out candy! Many places went Advertisement

[ Pala Mesa Resort ] all out and decorated accordingly. I had my son politely say "Trick-or-Treat" and, for instance, Dairy Queen passed out full size candy bars! (Gosh!) He was elated and excited.

I went home and my son raved about how it was "the best night of his life" because a person dressed as Sasquatch "sniffed my DNA!" He was a cool guy, dressed up, and walked up to my son and was sniffing his head.

What an absolute treasure it was to stay in my own city and have many safe places to trick-or-treat with my son. This meant a lot to my kid and, most likely, a hundred or two other little ghosts, goblins and princesses...

Stephanie Olsen

Anza