This year’s Ghost Village Road trick-or-treating extravaganza in Montecito has been canceled by the coronavirus crisis. 
At a previous Ghost Village Road appearance, the author and her gang — from left, Cindy Martin, Beverlye Fead, Sandra Tyler, Judy Foreman and Connie Smith — had sweet treats for kiddos and adult treats for themselves. 
The Rottman family turned out in force for a previous Ghost Village Road outing. 
The author with Ava and Sofia Gonzalez in a previous Ghost Village Road appearance. 
It’s bad enough that kids have had to stay home for nearly eight months, with home schooling, no sports and few child-friendly activities.
But, oh no, Halloween trick-or-treating has also been canceled by coronavirus concerns this year.
For 25 years, Montecito’s Coast Village Road — known as Ghost Village Road at Halloween — has been an ideal neighborhood for kids and parents to get dressed up and go trick-or-treating. No dark streets or spooky houses, but plenty of candy and loads of fun.
Even merchants who were initially skeptical of the event came around, channeling their own childhoods and often outdoing the youngsters who crowded outside their doors.
After morphing from accompanying a 9- and a 3-year-old in 1995 to having older kids who preferred their friends’ company to mine, I began hosting a party on the patio of 1266-1280 Coast Village Road. With Los Arroyos Restaurant overflowing with merry margarita drinkers next door, I set up a table — assisted by my girlfriends whose kids also were grown — so we could join in the fun of handing out candy.
I usually lasted until dark, or until my multiple bags of goodies ran out. My costumes varied, but once I had granddaughters, I dressed up as their favorite Disney princesses. Many kids thought I was Queen Anna from Frozen.
Sponsored by the Coast Village Association, it was the best little block party around, with parents pushing strollers, family themed costumes, shy princesses and adorable pirates. Even teenagers hung around their favorite haunts.
Outdoor seating was at a premium at every restaurant, and chaos was all part of the fun.
Not this year, though. Thanks to COVID-19, welcoming decorations have been replaced with window signs advising that there will be no Ghost Village Road. The party is off.
This year, parents will have to be creative and maybe have a backyard treasure hunt instead. I might still have a Los Arroyos margarita, joined by my now-adult kids, but it won’t be the same without the throngs of trick-or-treaters streaming past.
I’m blessed that my family and I have stayed healthy throughout this contagion, but everything feels glum and different. I’m already looking forward to next year’s Halloween, though, and the return of Ghost Village Road.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at news@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.