I packed a lot of fall fun into the last few days of October.

My family and I met friends at our town’s annual Halloween block party the Saturday before Halloween. The popular event draws revelers of all ages decked out in a wide variety of costumes. This year’s theme was Wizard of Oz, and the costumes did not disappoint! There were food trucks, a beer tent, a stage for live music and a projector screening the classic film. We didn’t stay out too late because the next day we had tickets for the Eagles/Giants game. My husband’s birthday happened to fall on the home game day, and the Birds’ win made for an excellent present.

The night before Halloween, we joined our neighbors at one of our favorite local spots, June BYOB, for its annual Catacombs dinner. The special fixed-price menu features a spooky spin on classic French dishes. The first course was a whole roasted Jack-be-Little pumpkin, stuffed with cheese, mushrooms, lardons and bread. Next, tuna tartare was deviously plated in a tuna bone. The entrée was braised short rib, potato, roasted witch fingers (roasted peppers, in actuality) and beef jus. Dessert was a “poison apple,” which featured a Chartreuse-poached apple, vanilla ice cream, spiced streusel and a gummy worm. The favorite among our group of six was the short rib, with the pumpkin a close second.

Unlike last year’s 80-degree temperatures, the weather on Halloween in New Jersey was absolutely perfect. We briefly walked up and down our street, dressed as Bob, Linda and Tina Belcher from Bob’s Burgers, then sat with our neighbors the remainder of the night, handing out candy while the adults enjoyed wine.

This October was one for the books. I’m excited to see what the rest of 2025 brings!

— Katie Skrzek, vice president and digital director