Hundreds of people in costumes take over downtown London for Candy Crawl

Hundreds of people, young and old, dressed in costume to kickstart their trick-or-treating Sunday.

Hundreds of people dressed in costume flooded downtown London, Ont. Sunday for the annual Candy Crawl.

The event featured live music, circus performances, a miniature market and plenty of trick-or-treating.

“It’s such a good turnout,” said Stefanie Stolzel, owner of the Tea Haus at Covent Garden Market. “There’s face painting here, activities for the kids, a bouncy castle. The downtown businesses all got together to celebrate this day ahead of Halloween and this way you get to enjoy Halloween on the 31st and visit the town on a beautiful day with lots of sunshine.”

The event which has been growing each year since its inception is described as a “great family gathering.”

On Dundas Place, music was playing, and the street was packed with adults and kids in costume.

“We’re here because it’s Halloween,” said Ian MacLean who was dressed as “The Pumpkin King” from The Nightmare Before Christmas. “It is our spooky season and this is our favorite time of year. We are just here to spread some joy as we are cosplayers. We do a lot of Comic-Cons and things with a few different outfits. This is one of our favorites at this time of year and it’s obviously a family affair as you can see.”

The day also featured a costume contest with winners earning prizes from participating businesses.

“This event is a great example of what happens when downtown partners come together to create something special,” Brent Hodson, Marketing and Communications manager for Downtown London said in a release. “It’s about celebrating local, building connections, and giving families another reason to love coming downtown. With 23 places participating, from restaurants and cafés to movies and music, this year’s Candy Crawl truly has something for everyone!”