Every October, downtown Edmonds transforms into something special. Sidewalks fill with superheroes, princesses, pirates, astronauts, and every imaginable creation a child’s imagination can produce.

Storefronts become candy stations, local businesses open their doors, and for a few hours our downtown becomes one of the happiest places in the city.

The Edmonds Chamber’s annual Halloween event has become a tradition that reminds us why community matters. On the surface, it may look like a simple trick-or-treat event. In reality, it’s much more than that. It brings together families, businesses, volunteers, and organizations to create lasting memories while showcasing the best of Edmonds.

This year marks the first Halloween event for the Chamber’s new President and CEO, Michael Campbell-Danas, and he is eager to experience it firsthand.

“Having heard so much about it from our members and community partners, this will be my first opportunity to truly witness the grandeur of this amazing event,” he said. “It’s one of those occasions that showcases the very best of Edmonds and demonstrates the incredible spirit of our community.”

That spirit is visible everywhere you look. Children move excitedly from business to business collecting treats while parents capture photos they will treasure for years. Friends run into one another on the sidewalks. Business owners greet familiar faces and welcome new customers through their doors. An ordinary evening becomes a community celebration.

The event’s scale is impressive. According to Chamber Events Manager Teresa Pape, most downtown merchants participate in the festivities, joined by approximately 20 local companies and organizations that come downtown specifically to be part of the celebration.

Not every community can bring together most of its downtown businesses, dozens of organizations, and generations of families for a single evening. Yet the Edmonds Chamber has done exactly that for 35 years.

The event has also proven remarkably resilient.

“Even with the weather we experienced last year, the community showed up,” Pape said. “More than 3,000 trick-or-treaters participated, which speaks volumes about how much this event means to families throughout our area.”

As I walked through the crowds in years past, I reflected on how quickly life’s seasons change. Not long ago, my wife and I helped our daughters choose costumes, checked the best camera lighting, and made sure everyone had enough layers beneath their outfits to stay warm on a cool October afternoon.

Both of our daughters absolutely loved this event, and it became one of those annual traditions our family always looked forward to.

Even my dear old dad joined us on several occasions. To his credit, he bravely donned a costume in an earnest attempt to blend in with the festivities. Whether he actually felt comfortable in this American tradition is certainly open to debate, but he seemed to have a good time, and the memories still make me smile today.

Now both of our daughters are away at college, and Halloween looks a little different in our household. Truth be told, I’ve never considered myself much of a traditionalist. I’m usually more interested in what lies ahead than looking back. Yet here I am reflecting on the power of community traditions and the joy they bring to people of all ages.

Part of that comes from what this event has become over the years. For me, it has always felt a bit like old home week. Everywhere you turn, you’re running into familiar faces.

Friends, neighbors, former clients, local business owners, and families you’ve known for years. One of the great joys of living in a close-knit community like Edmonds is being reminded just how connected we all are.

Beyond the DJs, flash mobs, costume contests, and countless candy-filled memories over the years, watching a new generation of families experience the same excitement reminds me that traditions like this do not belong to any single family. They become part of the town’s fabric.

So thank you to the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, the participating businesses, the volunteers, and the dozens of organizations that help bring this event to life each year. They aren’t simply creating an afternoon of trick-or-treating. They’re creating an opportunity for neighbors to reconnect, for families to make memories, and for our community to celebrate what makes Edmonds such a special place to call home.

In a world that often seems to move faster every year, that’s something worth holding onto.