The Babylon Village Chamber of Commerce is expanding its annual Creepy Crawl with a new literacy twist, turning Main Street into a storybook trail for young trick-or-treaters on Sunday, Oct. 26.
Now in its second year, the family-friendly Halloween event will feature page-by-page readings of a children's book at local businesses, followed by a dance party at the Babylon Public Library. Trick-or-treating and activities will run rain or shine from noon to 3 p.m.
The event concludes with a “monster mash” at the library, 24 S. Carll Ave. Legendary Entertainment will DJ the celebration, playing a family-friendly mix of music.
Chamber President Tom Vitale has high hopes for the success of this event as it enters its second year.
“Last year, the Chamber created this Creepy Crawl event and that seemed to work out very nicely. We had a ton of participants last year, about 600 kids,” said Vitale, who served as 2024 chairman, working alongside Christina Sciuto, the owner of La La Land and this year’s event chair.
Vitale, who also serves as director of the Babylon Public Library, announced a new literacy-focused feature for this year’s event.
“Last year the kids had to identify a spooky object in each business before they got their treat. This year we’re using a book,” he said.
This year’s event will incorporate ZomBees, a Halloween-themed children’s book by New York-based actor and author Justin Colón. Children will read a page of the book at each participating business during their trick-or-treat route. Colón is known for titles such as The Quacken, Impossible Possum for Mayor, and the forthcoming Vampurr. ZomBees, published by Simon & Schuster, follows a swarm of zombie bees on Halloween night.
Older siblings or parents can assist younger children with reading to ensure all participants can join in.
“We thought it would be good for promoting literacy, but the kids still get to have fun with it,” said Vitale.
He credited Colleen Kinneary, owner of The Neverending Story bookstore in Babylon and a Chamber board member, with the idea of incorporating reading into the event, as was done with the spring egg hunt. The original Creepy Crawl concept was introduced under former Chamber President Nancy Iglesias-Gillen.
“The author is local and was excited to use his book for the event. My librarians and I reviewed it, and we thought it was cute,” Vitale said.
Participants will receive a map to follow the story in order. Each business will offer a variety of treats, including non-edible options to accommodate food allergies.
To support the literacy component, The Neverending Story will host live readings of the book during the event.
The event will conclude at the library with a dance party featuring a green screen photo booth, face painting, and music in the community room. The library will also distribute treats.
All activities are free, supported by sponsorship from East Neck Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in West Babylon. Registration begins at noon at La La Land, 158 E. Main St. The first 300 registrants will receive a Creepy Crawl tote bag from the Chamber.
“We’re hoping to have a beautiful day and for a lot of people to come out again,” said Vitale. “We’re happy to have participants from wherever they happen to come from (not just Babylon). It should be a really great day.”
Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. Vitale reminded parents that streets will remain open to traffic during the event.
For more information and the event flyer, visit the Babylon Village Chamber of Commerce website.