By Rachel Browne
Halloween caught Jasmin Gemenis's family by surprise. After she and husband Jason moved into Naremburn eight years ago, they were not expecting the tricks or prepared to hand out the treats.
"The kids came knocking on the door and we had nothing," she said. "My husband gave them muesli bars because that was all we had. Now we buy about 100 lollies every year."
In the spirit: Josh Waite, 3, Lachlan Waite, 5, Alex Gemenis, 6, and Helena Gemenis, 4, prepare for Halloween.Credit: Anna Kucera
The parents of two girls – Alex, 6, and Helena, 4 – enjoy the community spirit and say it is the ideal opportunity to get together with neighbours.
"It's a nice opportunity for the adults to get together and have a few drinks and catch up," Ms Gemenis said. "The kids love it because they can dress up, go door to door with their friends and eat lollies."
Once dismissed as an imported tradition, Halloween has evolved into one of Sydney's biggest community-building events, as schools, suburban streets and councils get into the spooky spirit.
With the event falling on a Friday night this year, plans for street parties and school discos are under way across Sydney.
Rather than just being a night for kids to dress up and enjoy sweet treats, it is also an opportunity for neighbours to get together, according to Relationships Australia national executive officer Alison Brook.
Relationships Australia oversees Neighbour Day, which encourages Australians to check in on their neighbours, especially those who might be isolated.
"Halloween is a good opportunity to meet people on your street or to have a chat with older neighbours," Ms Brook said.
"It's a good way to stay connected to people you might not otherwise see. You don't even have to do the trick-or-treating. You can have a barbecue or a street party.
"It can mean the world to people to be invited to participate. It's a wonderful chance to invite people into an extended street family."
Ms Brook advised would-be ghosts and goblins to give neighbours plenty of notice about trick-or-treating beforehand.
"Some people can find large groups of children on their doorstep a bit overwhelming so it's a good idea to let them know what's happening in advance," she said.
An executive member of Northern Sydney Regional Council of Parents & Citizens Associations, Steph Croft, said many primary schools organised Halloween-themed events as fundraisers or community-building events.
"It's good for schools to have active communities, so whatever they can do to encourage that is wonderful," she said.
"That said, we need to be respectful of everyone's views and beliefs. There are a lot of families who feel uncomfortable with Halloween and they shouldn't feel excluded."
Nicholson Street Public School in Balmain East has held an fundraising Halloween festival each year for the past two decades. Organisers boast that it gets spookier every year.
Local councils and small businesses are also becoming more involved in the festivities. North Sydney Council is holding a scary story evening at the Stanton Library next week, while Mosman Library has creepy craft.
Businesses on Darling Street in Rozelle, still recovering from last month's deadly fire, are embracing the event with a themed "Rozelloween" night.