Fall has arrived on Lakeshore Avenue, and that means it’s time for one of our favorite community traditions!
On Saturday, October 24, from 10 AM to 12 noon, Lakeshore Avenue will come alive with candy, costumes, games, crafts, and plenty of Halloween fun for kids and families during our Candy Crawl & Harvest Festival.
Whether your little ones come dressed as their favorite character, a spooky creature, a superhero, or something completely original, we’re inviting families from across the neighborhood to spend the morning exploring Lakeshore, visiting local businesses, and celebrating together.
It's Time to Party on the Green!
Before the Candy Crawl is happens along the Avenue, the Lakeshore Baptist Church green will be transformed into our Harvest Festival celebration.
Families can stop by for a morning filled with:
🎨 Crafts
🎯 Games
📸 A fun selfie station featuring Mira, Zoey, and Rumi
from the KPop Demon Hunters🧁 Cupcake decorating
🌭 A community corndog lunch hosted
by the Lakeshore Baptist Church👻 Plenty of Halloween and fall-themed fun
And of course, costumes are encouraged!
The Candy Crawl Returns!
This year, we’re turning Lakeshore Avenue into a neighborhood-wide candy trail. We currently have 4 Lakeshore Avenue partners committed to hosting Candy Stops, with more opportunities for local businesses to join the fun. Participating businesses will be welcoming families with their own candy, treats, stickers, toys, or other kid-friendly surprises.
The parade/ Candy Crawl will begin at Lakeshore Baptist Church at 11 am and bring even more costumed fun to the Avenue. Gather your little ghosts, goblins, princesses, superheroes, and KPop Demon Hunters and get ready to join the celebration. Families will make their way down Lakeshore toward the Oakland LGBTQ Community Center, cross the street, and then head back along the east side toward Lakeshore Baptist Church candy crawling from business to business the whole route!
The parade is one of those special Lakeshore moments where the entire community gets to come together — so bring your cameras and get ready for some seriously cute photo opportunities! Think of it as a little trick-or-treat adventure right here in the neighborhood — giving families a chance to discover local businesses while collecting some Halloween goodies along the way!
And remember, the Candy Crawl isn’t just about the candy. It’s about getting out, walking the Avenue, supporting our local businesses, and enjoying the community that makes Lakeshore special.
Shop Local. Celebrate Local.
Events like the Candy Crawl are about much more than Halloween.
They’re an opportunity to introduce families to the businesses that make Lakeshore Avenue unique. When you stop for a treat, grab lunch, browse a shop, or simply say hello to a local business owner, you’re helping support the small businesses that make our neighborhood a destination.
Our participating Candy Crawl partners are helping make this event possible by opening their doors and welcoming families into their businesses. We’re excited to continue growing the trail and bringing even more of the Avenue into the celebration.
Keep an eye on Lakeshore Avenue social media for updates and the growing list of Candy Stops!
Save the Date!
Candy Crawl & Harvest Festival
Saturday, October 24
10 AM–12 noon
Parade at 11 AM
Lakeshore Avenue & Lakeshore Baptist Church Green
Come for the candy. Stay for the parade. Play some games. Make a craft. Decorate a cupcake. Grab a corndog. Take some pictures. Most importantly, spend the morning celebrating with your Lakeshore neighbors.
We can’t wait to see the Avenue filled with costumes, smiles, and families!
We’ll see you October 24! Bring your costumes and your best Halloween spirit. Candy bags will be provided by the LABID!
Meet Our Candy Crawl Partners!
The Candy Crawl wouldn’t be possible without the amazing Lakeshore Avenue businesses opening their doors and helping us create a morning of Halloween fun for local families.
We’re excited to introduce our first four Candy Crawl partners!
Eye Care Optometry
3341 Lakeshore Drive
Dr. Moonsamy and the team at Eye Care Optometry are excited to welcome Candy Crawl families to their office!
Their practice is dedicated to providing professional eye care in a comfortable and friendly environment. In addition to comprehensive eye exams and contact lens fittings, Eye Care Optometry offers a large selection of designer frames right here on Lakeshore.
For the Candy Crawl, they’ll be swapping eye charts for Halloween treats and welcoming little trick-or-treaters through their doors!
Stop by, say hello, grab a treat, and give a warm Lakeshore welcome to Dr. Moonsamy and the Eye Care Optometry team.
Obelisco
3407 Lakeshore Avenue
Even though Obelisco will not be open for regular business during the event, they’re opening their doors especially for our Candy Crawl trick-or-treaters!
It’s a wonderful example of the community spirit that makes Lakeshore Avenue such a special place. Obelisco is making space in their day to welcome neighborhood families, hand out treats, and be part of the celebration.
So when you see the Obelisco doors open during the Candy Crawl, be sure to stop in and say hello!
And with Obelisco recently celebrating their first anniversary on Lakeshore, there’s even more reason to celebrate this local business and the role they’re playing in our community.
Gymboree Play & Music
3433 Lakeshore Avenue
If your little ones need to get their wiggles out, Gymboree Play & Music is the place to be!
Located right here on Lakeshore Avenue, Gymboree offers both structured and non-structured classes throughout the week, making it easy to find something that fits your family’s schedule.
During the Candy Crawl, Gymboree will be joining the fun as one of our official Candy Stops!
It’s the perfect opportunity to introduce your little ones to a local resource designed specifically for play, movement, learning, and making new friends — while, of course, picking up a Halloween treat along the way.
Queer Arts Center Gallery
A Free All-Ages Halloween ART Experience
The Queer Arts Center Gallery is joining the Lakeshore Halloween Crawl with a special experience that brings art and Halloween fun together!
Stop by QAC during the Lakeshore Candy Crawl for treats and playful augmented-reality art, then come back after the crawl to color, create, and discover even more art that comes alive!
It’s a chance for kids and grown-ups alike to experience something a little different while exploring the creative side of Halloween.
🍬 Candy • 🎨 ARt • 🖍️ Coloring • 🎃 Halloween Fun
FREE • ALL AGES
We love that our Candy Crawl is growing beyond traditional trick-or-treating and giving families opportunities to explore the creativity, businesses, and community that make Lakeshore Avenue unique.
More Candy Stops Are Coming!
And this is just the beginning!
We’re continuing to welcome Lakeshore Avenue businesses who would like to participate as Candy Stops. As more businesses join the trail, we’ll be sharing the growing list so families can plan their Candy Crawl adventure.
Keep following Lakeshore Avenue on social media for updates, participating businesses, and more details about the October 24 celebration.
We’re so grateful to these businesses for helping us bring a little extra Halloween magic to Lakeshore Avenue. Their participation is what makes this more than just a trick-or-treating event — it makes it a community celebration.
Get Creative with the Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Contest!
Looking for another fun way to get into the Halloween spirit? Trader Joe’s on Lakeshore is bringing back its pumpkin decorating contest!
The rules are simple:
- Purchase a pumpkin at Trader Joe’s
- Decorate it at home — get as creative, silly, spooky, or artistic as you’d like!
- Bring your decorated pumpkin back to Trader Joe’s to be featured on their in-store pumpkin display.
- Once your pumpkin is on display, you can vote for your favorite!
And yes, there are prizes!
1st Place: $50 Trader Joe’s Gift Card
2nd Place: $30 Trader Joe’s Gift Card
3rd Place: $20 Trader Joe’s Gift Card
It’s a fun way for kids, families, and creative Halloween enthusiasts to show off their decorating skills — and then check out all of the other amazing pumpkins entered in the contest.
So pick out your pumpkin, get creative at home, and bring it back to Trader Joe’s to join the display!
Important BID News
Save the Date for our October meeting
Monday, October 26 at 10 am
3534 Lakeshore Avenue
email racheal@lakeshoreavenue.com for a zoom link if you’d prefer to join online