COSTA MESA : Recession Takes Toll on Children’s Event

The Halloween Happening is not happening this year.

According to city officials, the annual South Coast Plaza event, designed to give children a safe place to trick or treat, has been canceled because of a lack of sponsors.

It is the second children’s event this year that has fallen victim to the city’s tight budget and the community’s inability to pick up the tab.

“At council’s direction . . . we were told to offer the programs as long as we could find sponsors. If we couldn’t find sponsors, we were not to have them,” said Keith Van Holt, director of Community Services.

The Halloween Happening and three other city-sponsored children’s events were put on the chopping block as the City Council grappled with thousands of dollars in cutbacks during budget hearings earlier this year.

Led by Councilwoman Sandra L. Genis, who decried spending money on Easter egg hunts when city employees were going without pay raises, the council agreed to hold free events only if someone else would pick up the tab.

According to city staff, it costs between $5,000 and $12,000 to sponsor each of the events, which are free to children. The money covers both city staff salaries and materials.

The announcement comes just months after the city canceled the Summer Fun Faire, an end-of-the-summer celebration that has been held each August at a local park.

At this time, the two remaining events, the Snow Hill in December and the Easter Eggathon next spring, are still up in the air. However, a sponsor has tentatively signed up to support the Snow Hill, Van Holt said.

The news of the cancellation could leave hundreds of children and parents unhappy. Some prepare months in advance, Van Holt said.