Your Oak Bay Halloween, from first candy to last dance

Oak Bay has a Halloween house that gets thank-you cookies. That feels like a useful place to start.

On Lincoln Road, neighbours have been thanking Rod for his display with baked goods and a handwritten review from the kids. Elsewhere, the Avenue has an afternoon candy route, and Groove Kitchen has the late shift for people whose costumes deserve a dance floor.

Here are three ways to spend Saturday, October 31. Pick the one that suits your household. There is no prize for doing all three.

The candy-before-dark plan

When: 2 to 6 p.m. Where: Oak Bay Avenue, from Foul Bay Road to Monterey Avenue, plus Municipal Hall at 2167 Oak Bay Avenue.

If bedtime has more authority in your house than Halloween does, start here. Avenue merchants and Municipal Hall are handing out treats through the afternoon. Look for a pumpkin poster in the windows of participating businesses.

Make the pumpkin posters the children's job to spot. You get a simple route; they get a small treasure hunt. Starting at 2 gives you the daylight version, without committing to a second expedition after dinner.

The District lists both the merchants and Municipal Hall, so the Hall can be a stop on the outing rather than an address to remember later.

Check the District's trick-or-treat details.

The decoration safari

Where: 2583 Lincoln Road. When: Hazel estimates the lights will be on around 6:30 p.m. in a reply to her post. Check there before heading over.

Hazel Braithwaite's October 29 update says Rod was putting the finishing touches on the display. The early reviews were already in: one family left a note awarding the decorations a gold star and 10 out of 10. Another neighbour brought cookies with her children to thank him for the work.

There is an idea worth borrowing. Let the kids choose their favourite display on your walk, then leave a kind note for the people who made it. A Halloween safari can end with someone else getting a treat.

This is a private home, so enjoy the display from the public street and keep access clear.

See Hazel's update and the actual display in the Oak Bay Local Facebook Group.

The costume-with-a-dance-floor plan

When: Show at 7:30 p.m.; doors at 6 p.m. for dinner. Where: The Upstairs Lounge at Oak Bay Recreation Centre, 1975 Bee Street.

Groove Kitchen's Halloween Dance Party brings funk, Latin, reggae and soul to the lounge. Costumes are encouraged, with prizes planned. If you have already spent an unreasonable amount of time making a costume, this is its chance at a longer working day.

Beacon Ridge Productions is the ticket source. Check availability before heading over; the listing alone does not confirm that tickets remain. The early doors are for dinner, so choose your arrival time around whether you want a meal or the music.

Check Groove Kitchen's event and ticket details.

Before you head out

Newport Avenue is closed between Windsor and Transit roads after a water-main break. The District's October 30 update also asks people to stay clear of the repair sites on Newport and Goodwin over the weekend. Check its current update before choosing your route.

And leave the clocks alone when you get home. Oak Bay does not fall back on November 1 under B.C.'s permanent daylight-time change. The candy sorting can have your full attention.

Feature image: AI illustration created for Oak Bay Local. It does not depict an actual Oak Bay home or event.