For the second year in a row, small businesses on York Boulevard will participate in a Halloween trick-or–treating event 3-6 p.m., Oct. 31 according to Marcy Guevara-Prete, owner of The Plus Bus Boutique.
Guevara-Prete is one of the leaders in organizing small businesses on York and connecting the owners.
“Last year we did a very cool small business bingo […] and we also had a really successful trick–or–treating [event],” Guevara-Prete said. “That’s why we wanted to do it again this year. It’s really to create that small town feeling that Highland Park has.”
According to Guavara-Prete, the trick-or-treating event last year got a great response, and over 15 businesses will be passing out candy this year.
In addition to the trick-or-treating event, stores and businesses on York Boulevard have various other fall and Halloween events planned in October.
Astrior
Event: Practically Magical
Astrid Angell, owner of Astrior, a boutique on York, said the shop will have a movie screening of “Practical Magic” Oct. 24.
“It’s a ’90s cute movie about witches and Halloween,” Angell said. “It’s gonna be called ‘Practically Magical,’ and then we’re gonna have mocktails and cocktails, spell book building, tarot readings, botanical flower-like building and we are going to be projecting the movie in the back.”
Angell said her boutique has a back area, which she said she uses for monthly events. According to Angell, in September, Astrior Boutique held a “Gilmore Girls” event, which she said was her busiest event so far, with around 70 people attending. Angell said she is planning on having another “Gilmore Girls” event in December.
Angell said she gets inspiration for these events based on her personal interests.
“[There’s] girly things that I like that I think that my customers would like too,” Angell said. “I feel like ‘Practical Magic’ and ‘Gilmore Girls,’ they’re not quite, you know, my store, but there’s a lot of crossover between the customer base.”
Be Nice, Have Fun
Events: book club, movie premiere, trivia night
Destinie Escobedo is the founder and owner of Be Nice, Have Fun, a community space and gift shop. According to Escobedo, Be Nice, Have Fun hosted several events in October, with more on the calendar.
Escobedo said she hosts a monthly book club at Be Nice, Have Fun. According to Escobedo, the shop hosted a premiere of the short film “A Diwali Dilemma” Oct. 19 in honor of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
“[It was] a free event to come and watch the premiere of this short film based on the idea of Diwali and people celebrating it,” Escobedo said.
According to Escobedo, Be Nice, Have Fun also hosted a pumpkin painting event with free pupusas Oct. 12. She said the event included an information session on the rights of community members.
Escobedo said Be Nice, Have Fun has an inaugural trivia night planned Oct. 29.
“It’s the last Wednesday of the month, and that one is going to also be a monthly event that we host, $5 per ticket,” Escobedo said.”You can make teams, and I think there’s gonna be a theme each month,.”
According to Escobedo, she has always had community events planned for her store.
“Since our creation [we] have had community as a part of our business and our structure,” Escobedo said. “We wouldn’t have had a business if it weren’t for the business having community just as an integral part of it.”
Bob Baker Marionette Theater
Events: Halloween Spooktacular, Puppets in the Park, Spook-a-nanny, Halloween Costume Ball, Flintstone’s Live Read Benefit
According to Megan Librizzi, she has been an office assistant at the Bob Baker Marionette Theater for two years. She said the theater had an event called Spook-A-Nanny Oct. 16 at the Heritage Square Museum, where they showed a shorter version of their Halloween Spooktacular show. According to Librizzi, their partner for this event was Screen Novelties, which had some other old Halloween cartoons prepared for the show.
According to Librizzi, Bob Baker Marionette Theater held a free puppets in the park event Oct. 19 at the Hollyhock House in Barnsdall Art Park, and had The Flintstones: A Live Read Benefit! Oct. 17.
Librizzi said the theater will have its third annual Halloween Costume Ball Oct. 25.
“[It’s] a fundraiser for the theater, but most importantly, it’s a costume competition […] and the winner gets a two-night stay at [Hotel el Roblar],” Librizzi said.
The theater is currently preparing for ‘The Choo Choo Revue‘ premiere in the spring, the theater’s first original production in over 40 years, Librizzi said. For this, the theater has made bat puppets, according to Librizzi.
“The bats are going to have their own sequence in Choo Choo. They get to come out a little bit just before Dracula and Vampira’s entrance in our [Halloween] Spooktacular,” Librizzi said.
Paula Higgins is the Soft Goods Fabricator for the puppets, meaning she makes costumes for the puppets. She has worked with Bob Baker, the founder of the theater, for a long time, according to Librizzi.
According to Higgins and Librizzi, each puppet takes around 300 hours to make.
“[The bats] are making their debut,” Higgins said.
The Pop-Hop Books Co-Op
Events: Spooky Story Slam
According to Adriana Yugovich, she is one of the workers and owners of The Pop-Hop Books Co-Op. Yugovich said the business is a community art space and bookstore that is also open to ideas for events from the public.
For Halloween, Yugovich said The Pop-Hop Books Co-Op has planned a Spooky Story Slam sponsored by Wicked Tree Press on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
“The Spooky Story Slam is inspired by the infamous ghost story contest where Mary Shelley began writing her timeless novel Frankenstein,” Yugovich said.
According to Yugovich, the event will celebrate the award-winning writer of the graphic novel series “Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters,” and attendees can bring their own books and get their copies of the graphic novel signed by the author.
Yugovich said it is important to plan events that cultivate community.
“I think it’s important to have like a variety of diverse programming available for everyone,” Yugovich said.
According to Guevara-Prete, she believes it is important for a community to shop at small businesses, and for these small businesses to support each other.
“When you go around LA and you see empty storefronts, it is not good for our communities,” Guevara-Prete said. “It’s important not only that our businesses thrive, especially in this economic climate, but that we create a community.”
Guevara-Prete said it is important that businesses thrive and create strong communities for the people around them.
“We wanna keep York small as long as possible — forever, hopefully — and we can only do that with the support of the community,” Guevara Prett said. “So Halloween [and] trick–or–treating, it’s our little give back, our little way to sweeten and treat our neighbors and beloved customers to a special afternoon.”
Contact Francine Ghazarian at Ghazarian@oxy.edu
