halloween in sf

[judywatt]

>>Castro Halloween began in 1948 as a children's costume contest at Cliff's Variety store, said Martha Asten, whose family store still serves the neighborhood.

In those days, children stood on stools to show off their costumes and won Cliff's gift certificates based on readings from audience applause-meters. <<

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/11/03/BAGLUM4QMH28.DTL&type=printable

And here's my take on the past vs. the present -

My daughter grew up in the Castro from 1970 to 1988, and we always took her to Cliff's on Halloween when she was little. I used to go to Cliff's before she was even born. I lived in the Castro even before it was a gay ghetto, and then for many years as it turned into one, and it was a great neighborhood back in the day for sure.

So I have a lot of good memeories of Halloween in my old neighborhood, and of that area in general. I'm glad R. grew up in such a colorful 'hood - it's part of who she is, a very aware, very accepting person.

But we stopped going to the Halloween street party in the 80's though and we're glad we moved across town in 1988 to an area that's not such a magnet for crazies.

It's really sad to see what the current generation has done to kill what was such a free and fun NEIGHBORHOOD celebration all those years. Every year since the 80's it's just gotten worse and worse - it's become just another excuse for people with nothing better to do to get drunk in public. It's the fall version of St. Patrick's Day now, only worse.

Once it turned into a mega tourist attraction, the party was over for the people who live in the neighborhood (and that was us for a long time). And now that it attracts gang bangers, the whole thing is way past dead as far as I can see.

I don't think it can be resurrected. I don't think there's a way to keep the gang bangers in their own 'hood on Halloween. Wish there was a way we could just put them all in a field somewhere, far away from all innocent bystanders, and give them the guns they love so much, and let them have at each other until they've killed each other all off. That would be their idea of a fun holiday, right?

So yeah, it pisses me off and makes me sad to see what this generation has done with what used to be a fun and free and safe neighborhood party. It wasn't just an excuse to get drunk in public, and it wasn't a magnet for gang bangers either.

Comments

[normaltrouble.livejournal.com]

I think there is a thin slice of society-- gangbangers or not-- who still need an old fashioned tournament.
Jousts, feats of skill, song contests, men and women both...swords, caber tossing, bocce balls, old fashioned Mayan ball court games, a mini-Olympics of arts, skill, cooking, dancing as it were, held in big open fields, maybe every late Spring. Instead of school or college ( which would let out early May), it's Spring Contest time in late May!!
Can you imagine the energy expended if people prepared for a grand tournament every year for the honor of their neighborhood.
But with a Caritas code ( ala Angel the series...) where no actual violence is allowed.

Oh, well, I should be Empress but I am not.

[judywatt.livejournal.com]

sounds like a good idea :)

[daily-in-la.livejournal.com]

I live 7 blocks away from the big West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. It won't be long until we're in the same boat...

[daily-in-la.livejournal.com]

whoops, I posted that comment on the wrong entry. Here you go:

I live 7 blocks away from the big West Hollywood Halloween Carnaval. It won't be long until we're in the same boat...