Halloween Celebration by BDA Youth Council

Every October as Halloween approaches, Downtown Beaverton prepares for Booverton, a night when the spooky streets are full of children and families showing off their fun and frightening costumes. This year, the Beaverton Downtown Association Youth Council is organizing the event, and they’re planning a lineup of activities for all ages, including trick-or-treating at downtown businesses and more!

The BDA Youth Council program gives local high school students a chance to step into leadership roles and help the BDA plan the future of Downtown Beaverton for the next generation. As council members, the kids help manage and promote existing BDA events. Booverton has been a traditional event in Downtown Beaverton since 2018, and it’s made a significant comeback since COVID. On Oct. 26, the Saturday before Halloween, everyone is invited downtown from 1 to 3 p.m. to celebrate the holiday. Judging from previous years and how it’s continued to grow, the council approximates between 1,000 to 1,200 kids in attendance.

With the Youth Council involved, Booverton promises to be more exciting than ever before, and they’ve been hard at work designing the celebration. “This is our biggest project of the year, so we’ve had meetings and formed committees to handle everything from business outreach to community promotion,” explains Youth Council Chair Shriya Marla.

Families are invited to trick-or-treat throughout Downtown Beaverton, stopping at participating locations to collect candy and enjoy activities like creating homemade Halloween crafts. Some food businesses will feature spooky snacks, like pumpkin waffles, hot chocolate bombs and Frankenstein cookies.

Vendor booths with ghoulish goodies and other surprises will be in a central area downtown, along with a map of all the places to visit. The Youth Council has a few tricks yet to be revealed, including possible pumpkin decorating and a Rocky Horror Picture Show movie showing! The event is free to attend, but additional activities may require tickets; keep an eye on BDA’s social media and their flyers posted around town as the details unfold.

Booverton is always a special night in Downtown Beaverton. “If you’re new to the area, it’s a great way to get to know downtown,” says Youth Council Vice Chair Allison Choi. “And if you’re local, just seeing it all decorated is fun. We love to see the kids express their style through their costumes.”

For the BDA, it’s thrilling to have people planning this youth-oriented event, people who provide a fresh perspective and new ideas. “People in the community love this event, so we’re excited that the Youth Council is making it bigger and even better,” says BDA Executive Director Andrew Le. “Besides being a treasured event for kids and families, it helps to bring attention and economic vitality to our incredible community of downtown businesses.”

For more information, please visit downtownbeaverton.org.