The Charlotte County Historical and Genealogical Society, along with the Drakes Brakes Museum, celebrated the first annual Drakes Branch Halloween Festival in collaboration with the town on Saturday.

The streets of Drakes Branch were filled with little ghouls and goblins enjoying the many activity booths.

Since Halloween is one of my favorite occasions, it was a great opportunity to see the community come together and provide a variety of entertainment for all ages.

Because Drakes Branch is a small town, I often hear the complaint that there are not a lot of recreational options for children or adults alike.

I applaud the town of Drakes Branch and supporting organizations for pulling together the event. The Halloween Festival provided an outlet for the residents of not just Drakes Branch but the county as a whole.

The festival included music, crafts and food vendors, face painting, inflatables, trick or treat candy and even a Halloween costume contest! In addition, the Farmers Market was in full swing at the Drakes Branch Pavilion.

In keeping with the Halloween spirit, several local churches and other organizations provided events throughout the weekend. These activities included Trunk or Treats and even haunted trails for those seeking more of a thrill!

According to History.com, “at the height of the postwar baby boom, trick or treating reclaimed its place among other Halloween customs, quickly becoming standard practice for millions of children in America’s cities and newly built suburbs … today, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the nation’s second-largest commercial holiday.”

In light of this, the old practice of going door to door receiving candy has also evolved to include safer options to ensure a good time is had by all.

I applaud Charlotte County on an excellent job providing Halloween festivities for individuals of all ages.

Italia Gregory is the community editor for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at italia.gregory@thecharlottegazette.com