COVID-19 Makes Halloween Too Scary for Beverly Hills

The Beverly Hills City Council approved an urgency ordinance on Oct. 13 that restricts Halloween activities in the City due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The following will be prohibited in Beverly Hills on Oct. 31:

• House-to-house trick-or-treating, or car-to-car trunk-or-treating;

• Spraying shaving cream on others (except within their home or residence or for licensed barbers on their customers); and

• Providing candy or other Halloween treats or toys to any person outside their household.

In addition, certain streets will be closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic (other than to residents who live on these streets) from 6-10 p.m. on Oct. 31:

• Carmelita Avenue at Wilshire Boulevard;

• Walden Drive Southbound at Elevado Avenue;

• Walden Drive at Santa Monica Boulevard;

• Carmelita Westbound at North Linden Drive; and

• The alley between North Linden Drive and Walden Drive from Santa Monica Boulevard to Elevado Avenue.

There will also be parking restrictions in the northeast portion of the City adjacent to West Hollywood. Violations of this urgency ordinance shall be subject to the administrative citation process set forth in Chapter 3 of Title 1 of the Beverly Hills Municipal Code.

Mayor Lester Friedman acknowledges that the ordinance is a source of disappointment, especially to the children in the community.

“We want to keep heading down the path of recovery from COVID-19, we don’t want to take steps back,” Friedman told the Courier.

The City’s Community Services staff is developing virtual Halloween programming to allow for safe and distanced activities. More details will be available at beverlyhills.org and in the Courier.