Santa Barbara’s cherished World of Magic Halloween store is closed this Halloween season for the first time since its opening in 1985, and its owners are looking to pass on the shop’s haunting legacy to another local for the 2021 spell.
Owners Gina and Caesar Ho made the difficult decision not to reopen the store’s doors in light of the coronavirus crisis.
“It was a really tough decision for us,” Gina Ho told Noozhawk. “It’s sad to be closed for the first time ever since 1985, but we felt that it was something that’s necessary.
“The store always gets so crowded, and with COVID we couldn’t find a feasible way to keep everyone safe.”
In a typical year, the store would have lines out the door and people packed inside, Gina said. In the 35 years since its opening, World of Magic Halloween has become a local tradition for scary costumes and accoutrements.
The Hos first met on Halloween during their college days in Irvine, and Gina remembers Caesar speaking so highly of a unique Halloween store in Santa Barbara.
“He would always say that it was a dream of his to own the World of Magic,” Gina recalled.
After returning to Santa Barbara, Caesar bought the shop from the Darta family in 2011 and has kept the spirits alive in the years since.
In their time owning the store, the Hos started a family and now have two younger children running around the house. Wanting to focus on their kids, they are looking to pass the torch for next year.
“It’s been a great run for our family and we have loved it, but it’s time for us to move on,” Gina said. “We want to ensure that World of Magic passes on to another Santa Barbara local who can keep the tradition going for many years to come.”
Despite the store’s closure, there are still ways for community members to get into the Halloween spirit.
Los Olivos’ 41st annual Scarecrow Fest is taking place through the end of October. Local businesses are each designing a scarecrow for community members to vote on.
“A lot of things have changed to follow COVID guidelines, but Scarecrow Fest isn’t one of those,” said Mary Nash, membership director of the Los Olivos Chamber of Commerce.
“This is one of the few activities that can be done with social distancing. It’s all based on being outdoors and walking around.”
The streets of Los Olivos have been incredibly busy with people walking around enjoying the festival, Nash said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we have more activity this year than last year,” she added.
The Santa Barbara Zoo, 500 Niños Drive, is hosting its Spooky Zoo outdoor celebration through Oct. 31. Visitors are encouraged to come in costume and take advantage of the “frightfully fun” decorations and photo opportunities.
The Spooky Zoo experience is free with zoo admission, but online reservations are required.
The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, is also holding Museum Mysteries Halloween from Oct. 23 through Nov. 1. The museum will be decorated for Halloween and will have spooky science experiments for visitors to conduct.
Clue kits can be purchased to turn the visit into a mysterious scavenger hunt by revealing and decoding hidden messages throughout the museum.
Local pumpkin patches are also open through the end of the month, including Lane Farms Pumpkin Patch, at 308 S. Walnut Lane near Goleta; Big Wave Dave’s Pumpkin Patch, at 3865 State St. in Santa Barbara; and the Montecito Country Mart Pumpkin Patch, at 1016 Coast Village Road.
With many Halloween festivities limited this year because of the coronavirus, local businesses are still trying to keep the spooky spirit alive.
— Noozhawk staff writer Jade Martinez-Pogue can be reached at jmartinez-pogue@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
