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Thousands of residents joined the city of Columbiana on its Main Street for its annual Monsters on Main tradition on Oct. 31. (Reporter photos/Rachel Raiford)

By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – Thousands of children dressed in their Halloween best roamed Columbiana Main Street collecting fistfuls of candy while spooky tunes echoed during the city of Columbiana’s annual tradition of Monsters on Main on Oct. 31.

With more than 4,500 local residents, this year’s installment of Monsters on Main was a success and saw 64 businesses and organizations participating and handing out candy to attendees.

“It went very well,” said Ali Payne, manager of community services for the city of Columbiana. “It’s such a great, successful event.”

Originally known as the Monster Walk, Monsters on Main initially began with a group of merchants who wanted a fun way to celebrate Halloween and since then it has become an annual Halloween tradition in Columbiana, bringing together community members and families as trick-or-treaters make their way down Main Street collecting candy from various merchants downtown.

Halloween festivities officially began at 4:30 p.m., with residents already in place to begin their march down Main Street from the roundabout near Just a Tish, Wine & More and down near the Shelby County Reporter’s office.

Over the course of the event, participating groups gave out thousands of pieces of candy.

“They always do a phenomenal job,” Payne said. “And there’s no return there, they’re not getting anything out of it. That’s the part that always is super amazing to me… they’re doing it strictly because they love our community.”

Although official numbers are yet to tallied, with 64 businesses and organizations participating and more participants than last year—the 2024 edition of Monsters on Main looks like it may be the biggest yet.

“These businesses, they buy their own candy, they do all the decorating—they do it all,” Payne said. “We organize it, but it’s the businesses who do all the hard work.”

In addition to fistfuls of candy being handed out by groups, Cultivate Church and the First Baptist Church of Columbiana participated and provided free hot dogs and chili for guest to dine on.

“It was a good crowd this year,” Payne said. “I’ve only heard good things from people… Everything’s been really positive.

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