The first year I worked at the Shelby County Reporter, I remember it getting close to Halloween and the buzz picking up around the office about Monster Walk.

I didn’t know what my co-workers were talking about. As far as I know, we didn’t have anything like Monster Walk back in my hometown of Talladega when I was growing up.

But everyone here was so excited about Monster Walk and giving the kids of Columbiana a happy Halloween, I started to get sucked in.

I’ve never been much for costumes, so that first year I just pulled on an Auburn football jersey and jeans. However, my co-workers did much better. One woman dressed as the evil Wicked Witch of the North; another co-worker dressed as a rock star. My favorite, though, was the guy from the advertising side who dressed as Oscar the Grouch, complete with trash can. That took some imagination.

As the time for Monster Walk drew near, I was amazed at just how many kids and families were gathering on Columbiana’s Main Street.

Here at the Reporter, we have big glass windows offering an expansive view of Main Street, and it seemed every inch of the roadway within sight was covered with moms and dads leading small superheroes, cowboys and cowgirls, princesses and rock stars by the hand.

I so enjoyed my time outside at Monster Walk as part of the Columbiana community that day, and I have enjoyed it tremendously at every Monster Walk since then.

Events like Monster Walk are what make small communities such as Columbiana so special. In a world where parents drive their kids to malls and churches to trick or treat instead of feeling they can safely allow their children to walk around their neighborhoods, it’s so nice to see a city come together to give its children plenty of memories — not to mention all the candy any child could fit into a plastic pumpkin.

This year, Monster Walk will be Monday, Oct. 31 at 4 p.m. in downtown Columbiana. I know Halloween falls on an inconvenient day this year, but we at the Shelby County Reporter truly hope to see all the local kids there. We’ll have our treats; you bring your tricks.

Amy Jones is the associate editor for the Shelby County Reporter. She can be reached at 669-3131 ext. 30 or by email at amy.jones@shelbycountyreporter.com.