The 19th Annual Scarecrow Stroll puts more than 100 scarecrows on Downtown Cranford's streets from October 16 through October 31. Residents, businesses, organizations, schools and families made them. The scarecrows stay up the whole time. The events around them are what change from day to day. Over 16 days, Downtown Cranford and its partners have scheduled something for toddlers, for adults on a weeknight, for dogs, for Ghostbusters fans and for anyone with a spare box of cereal.
Most of the rewards are paid in Downtown Cranford gift cards, so the money gets spent on the same blocks where the scarecrows stand. The donation drives at the start and the end both collect for Cranford Family Care.
The prize structure points back to North Avenue
Public voting runs online from October 16 through October 29. The ballot covers age, family, school and organization, and business categories, plus Best Overall. The top three in each public-vote category win Downtown Cranford gift cards worth $100, $75 and $50. Businesses compete without prize money, and judges hand out separate character awards worth a $25 gift card. Entries closed Monday, October 5, so this year's field is set.
The candy events work the same way. Every Candy Stroll ticket comes with a tote, a map of participating businesses and a $5 Downtown Cranford gift card. The map leads into the shops, and the gift card gives a reason to come back. Scarecrow winners get paid in the same currency.
The first three days stack up quickly
Friday, October 16 starts at Eastman Plaza with Neewollah, which is Halloween spelled backwards. Downtown Cranford is offering free s'mores, cider and temporary tattoos, and asks each visitor to bring a canned or boxed food donation for Cranford Family Care. Sheet Metal Workers Local 22 is sponsoring. The event page gives a 4 p.m. start but lists two different end times, 7 p.m. in the description and 7:30 p.m. in the listing.
Saturday, October 17 is the busiest day on the calendar, and its events overlap:
- All day: The Candy Stroll opens downtown and runs through Sunday, October 18. Tickets are sold through Eventbrite.
- 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Carved pumpkins are dropped off at Hanson Park, 38 Springfield Avenue, for the 12th Annual Pumpkin Carve-Out and Parade of Pumpkins. Registration forms are at jcas.org or on site.
- 5 to 8:30 p.m.: The pumpkins go on pedestals along Hanson Park's candlelit paths. Prizes go to the funniest, scariest and most original carvings in three age groups, 4 to 8, 9 to 16 and 17 and up. Pumpkins can be picked up starting at 9 p.m.
Jersey Central Art Studios hosts the carve-out with support from the Cranford Jaycees and the Hanson Park Conservancy, and it's free. TAPinto's event listing says it now draws thousands of visitors from across the area. That gives Saturday a simple order. Kids carve in the morning, drop off by 2, spend the afternoon on the Candy Stroll and come back to Hanson Park once it's dark.
Midweek, the events get more specific
After opening weekend, the schedule spreads out, and each event is planned around a narrower group of people.
| Date | Event | Who it's built for |
|---|---|---|
| Wed., Oct. 21, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Little Ghouls Candy Stroll | Ages 5 and under |
| Thu., Oct. 22, 5:30 to 9 p.m. | Witches Night Out | Adults, ticketed in two tiers |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | Ghostbusters Brunch & Trivia | Ticketed lunch crowd |
| Sat., Oct. 24, 1 to 4 p.m. | Ghostbusters Day | Free, all ages |
| Sun., Oct. 25, 11 a.m. to noon | Howl-o-Ween Pet Parade | Dogs and their people |
| Mon., Oct. 26, 6 to 7 p.m. | Halloween Magic Show | Free, all ages |
This is the first Little Ghouls Candy Stroll. It keeps the tote, map and $5 gift card setup from the weekend but runs on a weekday morning, which works for families with toddlers who aren't in school all day. Witches Night Out is sponsored by the Cranford Woman's Club and Downtown Cranford and is billed as an evening of gathering and shopping.
October 24 is a full Ghostbusters day
The brunch is at Garlic Rose Bistro, starting at 11 a.m. The ticket covers the meal and trivia on all of the Ghostbusters movies, and the gratuity is already included. The brunch ends at 12:30, and Ghostbusters Day starts downtown at 1 p.m. It runs until 4 with free Stay Puft s'mores, a Ghostbusters Car Show, a slime station at Fire Me Up Studio and a meet-and-greet with Stay Puft. Leave the brunch, walk a few blocks, and the afternoon program is just starting.
Union County runs a separate event that same weekend, Haunted Hayrides at Watchung Reservation on October 23, 24 and 25, with Monday, October 26 as the rain date. The county recommends them for ages six and up and charges $8 for county residents and $16 for everyone else. Check the Union County calendar before you go, since outdoor events can be rescheduled.
The parade and the new pizza place share a landmark
The Howl-o-Ween Pet Parade starts at Post Office Plaza at 11 a.m. on Sunday, October 25. It's run with Woof Gang Bakery & Grooming Cranford-Westfield and The Barker Lounge in Cranford. According to the registration form, dogs must be friendly, vaccinated, licensed and leashed. Downtown Cranford hasn't published a route beyond the starting point.
Cranford Square, the newest spot on the downtown food map, sits across the street from the Post Office at 101 Miln Street. Four partners own it. Downtown Cranford's September 16 profile reported that it had opened that Monday. Co-owner Billy D'Angelo told the organization that the opportunity to open Cranford Square was the genesis of the restaurant. The square pie is described as a hybrid of Sicilian and Detroit styles. The menu also has round pies, slices, a daily pizza special and sandwiches like the Spicy Chicken Vodka Parm and the Chicken Ricotta Picante. It's open Monday through Saturday, so the Sunday parade crowd will have to go somewhere else for lunch. The phone number is 908-777-4992. For the Saturday events, it's an easy stop for slices between the Candy Stroll and Hanson Park.
Fluffy Fluffy, at 100 North Union Avenue, is the sweeter option. Downtown Cranford's opening post lists made-to-order sweet and savory soufflé pancakes, croffles, cheesecake, lattes and refreshers. When TAPinto visited in July, owner Garnet Liew recommended the signature soufflé pancakes and a Mango Refresher. That July visit is the latest report available, so check the hours on the Fluffy Fluffy Cranford page before you plan a morning around it.
The run ends where it started, with a donation drive
On Monday, October 26, the Cranford Public Library is putting on a free Halloween Magic Show for all ages at the Cranford Community Center from 6 to 7 p.m. No booking is required. Three days later, the Community Center hosts the last big event of the stretch.
The Monster Mash Cereal Dash is a domino run made of cereal boxes, not a footrace. It's on Thursday, October 29, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Cranford Community Center, 220 Walnut Avenue, a new location this year. Spectators are welcome. Donations of unopened, standard-size cereal boxes can be dropped at the Fire Department or the DMC office through October 28. The goal is 1,250 boxes, and all of them go to Cranford Family Care.
October 29 is also the last day of scarecrow voting. So the same afternoon, voting closes and the second Cranford Family Care drive ends. The first one began 13 days earlier, when Neewollah asked for canned and boxed food at Eastman Plaza. Downtown Cranford's calendar lists nothing between the Cereal Dash and the scarecrows coming down on October 31.
Before you go:
- Donations: Bring canned or boxed food to Neewollah on October 16, and drop off cereal by October 28.
- Tickets: The Candy Stroll, Little Ghouls, Witches Night Out and the Ghostbusters Brunch are ticketed. Pumpkin Carve-Out, Ghostbusters Day and the Magic Show are free.
- Voting: The online ballot is open October 16 through 29.
At Frank D. Isoldi, we follow events like the Scarecrow Stroll because they help explain how Cranford's downtown keeps people coming back week after week. If you'd like to hear what we're seeing on these blocks this fall, we're happy to talk it through. Request a Private Market Consultation.
