Letter to the Editor: From Grassroots to a Square Tradition

Before Halloween crowds filled the Square, local business owners had a vision: free, safe fun for Moore County families

#Opinion | 4:40 p.m. Oct. 31, 2026

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This guest submission is from Chris Benson.

With the Square packed tonight for Halloween, I wanted to share a quick look back at how this entire tradition actually started.

As many of you know, our downtown Halloween celebration has grown into a massive annual event. But it didn't start with a board meeting, a municipal budget, or a committee plan.

It started back in 2017 because of an independent vision.

As a local business owner on the Square at the time, I saw an opportunity to bring Moore County families together for something we desperately needed: a safe, completely free, and fun downtown trick-or-treating experience for local kids. That first year in 2017, we organized a community scavenger hunt and a costume contest, gathered local donations, and relied entirely on grassroots participation from fellow downtown shops.

It was an incredible community-funded success built strictly as a gift for Lynchburg's families.

After seeing how successful that first year was, the Chamber of Commerce stepped in and took over the event's organization the following year. While the event has continued to grow, the true foundation of this festival belongs to the independent business owners and community members who invested the time and effort to build the blueprint back in 2017.

To everyone out on the Square enjoying the costume contests, the candy, and the community spirit tonight – have an amazing, safe Halloween! 👻

No matter how much an event changes or grows, the true heart of Lynchburg will always be its people.