Halloween on St. Armands Circle

Halloween screeched into Sarasota's sophisticated St. Armands Circle shopping district located in Sarasota on the west coast of Florida and stirred up a cauldron of fun for trick-or-treaters on Saturday, October 31, 2009.

Billed as Sarasota's largest outdoor Halloween event, FRIGHT NIGHT! enlisted St. Armands Circle Association  retailers, local actors and the Sarasota High School Drama Department, all bent on fomenting a scary amount of trickery to entertain passersby. Decorated store fronts set the stage for wandering spirits of Sarasota past. Frightening characters appeared amidst statues dressed in the Halloween spirit.

Participating retailers and restaurants contributed to the Halloween spirit through customized promotions. Costume contests with Shore-stocked goodie bags, a pet psychic at Wet Noses, costume-clad employees at Crab and Fin, and Halloween-themed cuisine and cocktails at Cork were some of events hosted around The Circle.

Participating restaurants and retailers offered Halloween candy to trick-or-treaters, and the ghosts of John and Mable Ringling stirred up The Circle alongside the fantastic characters of traditional Halloween spirit.

Rosalie Guillem of le macaron dressed as a clown and Sara Sinaiko as a witch. Photo: Louis Wery