PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Halloween is already in the air along Central Avenue in St. Pete. businesses are preparing to welcome thousands of people for Halloween on Central Avenue.
That includes Jeeves Law Group. Perhaps the more fitting name right now, Beetlejeeves. The front of the law office gives multiple nods to the classic Halloween movie 'Beetlejuice'.
Alexis Cotten works with the law office. She says they've added more decorations while also preparing for more trick-or-treaters.
"If you weren't here, you get it. If you're gonna be here, you will get it," she said.
Nearly 80,000 people showed up to celebrate Halloween on Central last year, the inaugural year. A crowd Cotten and her team weren't prepared for.
"At one point, I'm looking around, I'm like, "They're coming from everywhere. We need to like to seek cover; what are we going to do?" she joked. "Last year, we spent so much on candy and we thought we were like, 'Oh, we have enough candy for years?' No, no, we didn't because one of our co-workers had to go back out to CVS like three times and then finally to Walmart because it bought all the extra candy out, so this year we ordered candy. We have plenty, we are not going to run out."
Halloween on Central shuts down Central Avenue from MLK Street to 31st Street. Bryan Cassanas, a committee member of Car Free St. Pete, says the focus is on promoting a walkable Halloween option.
"We live in this beautiful sunny city. We should have more options," he said.
St. Pete's recent strides in changing how residents travel could also bring more people to the event.
"I think it's an extra advantage this year because we have this wonderful new transit system called the SunRunner, which is actually the main sponsor of the event. And folks will have an easy and expressway to get around the entire event from place to place without necessarily having to walk the entire way," said Cassanas.
Cassanas says events like this are leading the way for transportation throughout the region.
"I think our work speaks to what the general public wants to see, which is more transportation options, from micro-mobility options to larger transit system options. A lot of people just want options other than their car," he said.
transportation isn't the only reason for the alternative Halloween event. There's the added benefit of a safer option for families. Plus, it puts a big focus on the businesses in the Grand Central District.
"It'll allow you to experience Central in a whole new way. When you slow down and walk or bike along Central, you'll start to notice businesses that maybe you've never seen before. So maybe you can support those businesses. Our small businesses are really the heart and makeup of St. Pete. So we want to make sure that all of those businesses get attention and love on this beautiful holiday," he said.
It's one of the reasons Jeeves Law Group currently looks more like the set of a movie than legal practice.
"They're going in the right direction and they're making it so nice for the kids to go out and they don't have to knock on a scary person's door," Cotten added.
Halloween on Central 2 is Sunday, October 30th. It starts at noon and runs until 5 P.M.
