No tricks, just treats

Under gray skies and an occasional drizzle, ninjas, princesses and super heroes began to gather on East Davis Street.

Moments after Culpeper police officers placed traffic cones in the road to block traffic, the crowd surged into action.

“You remember what to say, right?” a woman asked her daughter, smoothing her princess dress in the process.

Despite the threat of rain, temperatures in the mid-60s made for a relatively pleasant trick-or-treating experience downtown on Saturday evening. Sponsored by Culpeper Renaissance, downtown merchants stepped outside their shops, handing out candy to hundreds of visitors.

In a yellow tutu with dental floss and a tube of toothpaste around her neck, the tooth fairy, also known as downtown business owner Laura Newman, handed out lollipops from a plastic bucket while clutching a large wand spiked with toothbrushes in the other. She denied harboring any conflicting feelings over the seemingly incongruous roles.

“It’s job security,” she said with a smile, dropping a lollipop into an orange plastic pumpkin.

Most who appeared in costume Saturday were younger, but a few big people apparently decided to join in, donning pointy hats, colorful wigs and scary masks. By 5:30, a two-block stretch of sidewalk was packed. Proud parents stepped off the curb to snap photos.

Asked where his costume was, Eric Bray of Culpeper just smiled.

“I stopped that about 14 or 15 years ago,” he said. Instead joined by his mom, girlfriend and son Payton, who was dressed in a furry puppy costume, the group worked their way up and down block collecting candy.

Across the street, the Three Musketeers appeared. Jane Ryan’s sons Mason, Noah and Ben seemed to be enjoying their Halloween experience. All wore matching dark blue outfits, and black dress hats, each adorned with a white feather.

“Now if I can get them to stop killing each other with their swords, I’ll be good,” said mom Jayme, herding the group down the sidewalk.