Los Gatos Gets Ready for Halloween!

As soon as the bell rings at around 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 31, most Los Gatos Union School District children will begin the annual ritual of going home to get ready to go trick-or-treating to celebrate Halloween.

Prior to the evening festivities, which most parents begin at around 4 or 5 p.m. for younger children, many schools will have the traditional Halloween costume parades, according to district officials.

The entire student body at , for example, will parade around 1:15 p.m. at the senior living community .

and elementary schools' Halloween parades will take place Monday as well, but in the morning after 8 a.m.

's Halloween parade and carnival is also listed on the district's calendar as occurring Monday.

A street will close off in the downtown area off of for the Fright Night, , according to parent Wendy Doty.

After hitting the area around , many children will then visit the popular Blossom Manor neighborhood located behind on Los Gatos Boulevard, Doty explained.

Trick-or-treating will go on until about 8:30 p.m. for younger children and later for older kids, she added. Please check site tomorrow for Halloween safety tip story.

"It's an exciting time for friends to get together, dress up and go trick-or-treating," said Doty, who will accompany her two children, ages 9 and 11.

will get out at around 3 p.m. and students will be dressing up, Doty said.

A Place for Teens will be offering a barbecue at its center, 4 New York Ave., 4-6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 31. The goodies will include free burgers, Halloween games, Xbox death match, dance music and more free with a student ID. Friends and family are welcome and drinks are $1.

In the meantime, organizers of the Los Gatos Haunted Harvest Festival Goblyns Glen will take advantage of the last day for business, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Oak Meadow Park, 233 Blossom Hill Rd. The event is sponsored by Skeleton Coast and the

And Shadow Hills will keep the older crowd partying into the night also at Oak Meadow Park. To purchase tickets, click here.

Ronee Nassi, president of the said she wasn't aware of any “scheduled” Halloween celebration in the downtown commercial area. 

She indicated individual businesses will be doing their own thing as there is no coordinated effort for downtown businesses offering candy to children on Monday.

Companies like Los Gatos Wellness Center, on The Boulevard, were promoting on Facebook their candy give-away plans. "We'll be handing out treats at the office on Halloween and would love to see your ghosts, fairies, ninjas, princesses, zombies, cats, witches, and ???. Please stop by if you have a chance," its status said Saturday.