Special to the Town Crier
It's a scary thought, we know, but Halloween is nearly upon us again.
It's a time when the local scene turns decidedly orange and that decorator crop, the pumpkin, becomes as plentiful as the little munchkins trick-or-treating.
Starting this weekend, local students will paint more than 100 downtown Los Altos store windows with Halloween art.
Young and old alike are in for a howling good time Friday when the Los Altos Village Association offers a free celebration complete with bewitching treats and entertainment.
From noon to 4 p.m., costumed kids can trick or treat at participating stores that show the "Smiling Pumpkin Face" on store window posters.
Magical activities and ghoulish entertainment will start at 3:30 p.m. in the Community Plaza. Activities will include a Halloween magic show, a candy corn guessing contest and face painting.
The Los Altos Police Department also will be on hand to offer Halloween tips.
The annual costume contest will begin at 4 p.m. in the Community Plaza, located at State and Main streets.
Special prizes will be awarded for the most creative costume in three age categories: 3 years old and younger, 4 to 6 years old, and 7 to 10 years old.
In other local Halloween news, more than 10,000 children are expected to visit the Pumpkin Patch at Farm Fresh Produce this fall, according to Diane Schmitz, co-owner of the 15-acre farm. Farm Fresh Produce, at Grant Road and Levin Avenue in Mountain View, is known for their tomatoes, corn and pumpkin patch as well as the Halloween train ride available for children.
Employees expect to sell more than 50 tons of pumpkins this fall.
A growing hunger among Americans to reconnect with the disappearing farm fuels this interest in decorating and the experience of visiting farms like Farm Fresh.
Organizers said it's an event for children to come to a farm, see how produce is grown and trek all through the pumpkin patch looking for a pumpkin of their very own to take home.