Haunting Yarra Junction’s Halloween Street Party

Last Halloween saw the eerie gates open between the spirit realm and Yarra Junction, home of Cire’s Halloween Street Party, on Halloween 2024. As a freshly graduated ghost from The Other Side, I was eager to float into the world and scare some unsuspecting humans.

Over three thousand roamed the street and cricket grounds in the late afternoon – three thousand of the most sinister and frightening spectres I had seen! These humans were dressed up in the most delightful costumes, and I was intrigued. There were skeletons, zombies, and countless baby pumpkins snoozing in their prams. Alien abductions were in force, with witches casting spells, and a wonderful array of family costumes that included the dog! Or is it a bat? A…batdog?

I decided to do as they did, and followed them on their journey through town.

It is possible that almost every family was haunting Yarra Junction that night, and no effort was spared. The safety offered by a community event, with traffic management, ambulance and police services attending, is an inviting prospect for parents of young trick-or-treaters. For the young ones themselves, having over 25 local businesses in one short strip of road offering candy and toys, it’s a jackpot!

“That’s a sick costume bro!” I turned in delight, but alas! The alien-child was not speaking to me, but to a frog-child walking nearby. About the costume, I had to agree. Many costumes were terrifying, reminding me of friends from home. Others, while not scary, were incredible, such as the frogs and princesses. Perhaps, I thought, hovering over the road, it’s not just about being scary any longer. There must be something more.

My likeness in front of the bank distracted me from my haunting – it looked so much like me, but was it scary? I decided to investigate a crowd over the road, curious about this ‘candy’ that had the children jumping up and down. Families received their free showbags (already temptingly full of goodies) at Cire Community Hub, along with a scorecard and map to guide them to their next spooky destination and candy treat. An appropriate place to start, for the journey would reward families with not only Halloween treats but the warmth of community as well.

Friends greeted each other along their path and compared their haul, discussing what they’d seen and found: “I didn’t know there was a candy shop here!” “Did you see the witches’ shop down the street?” Strangers helped pick up the casualties of a split showbag – I learned that in Lesson 5, Tricks before Treats – and returned the loot to its owner, in a show of goodwill that did not match the pirate costume, but was heartwarming to see.

The variety and fiend – no, friendliness of Yarra Junction was on full display. It must be a sign of the community’s spirit, because the head sponsors were Yarra Ranges Council as well as Bendigo Community Bank – both Yarra Junction and Warburton, no less. (My trip tonight was made possible by Ghouloria at the Haunted Gate.)

Business owners did not waver as the hours passed and countless ghost-children asked for treats. They opened bag after bag of goodies and passed them on with genuine smiles. Children squirmed in shy delight to have a roughscale python placed on their shoulders while others greeted the kangaroo, bat, and creepy crawlies from Black Snake Productions. I posed for a photo for the competition, but nobody saw me. I’m sure I would have won, and can’t wait to see who did!

Yarra Valley Veterinary Surgery became, on this night of chills, the haunted hospital for animals from The Other Side – canine skeletons recovered from their otherworldly surgery by candlelight in the dark and creepy rooms. On the street, the air was full of easy chatter, interrupted by the odd “BOO!” followed by squeals of laughter. That’s Lesson 2: Surprise!

A chorus of “Happy Halloween” would ring out across the oval, drawing people – and frogs, vampires, and all sorts of creatures – to the cricket grounds, where frighteningly good snacks were served by food trucks and the ever-supportive cricket club. They generously donated the green to the spirits of Halloween that night, conducting their weekly practice in the bowling cages while the families picnicked on the grass and sorted their loot. It was here that my journey ended, reclining an inch or two off the ground and listening to the chatter and laughter.

Perhaps I’ll learn to become visible next time. One thing I know for sure is that when the gates open again in 2025, I will return to enjoy – erm, haunt – Yarra Junction once more.