For one evening each October, Lantana Trail transforms into a Halloween wonderland, as thousands of costumed children and their families take over the street for one of the community’s largest and most popular traditions.
The award-winning Lantana Monster Mile returns Saturday, Oct. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m., beginning at Lantana Town Green and winding along Lantana Trail.
Now in its 24th year, the event features a three-quarter-mile route along both sides of Lantana Trail filled with live characters, larger-than-life decorations and 27 candy stations.
“It’s an experience,” said Lantana Community Manager Kathy Epperson. “There are blow-ups, candy and decorations, and it all goes up in one morning and comes down that evening.”
While the Monster Mile itself lasts only about two hours, Epperson said it takes roughly 18 hours of work to make it happen.
That’s where Lantana residents and local businesses come in.
“Monster Mile runs on neighbor power,” she said, and volunteers and sponsors play a key role in staging an event that attracts an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 costumed children and their parents each year.
Volunteers help staff candy stations, hand out treats and high-fives and assist with other aspects of the event.
“They’re all very important,” said Epperson. “This is the largest event of the year, and having those volunteers and people there buying into the community is what makes it work.”
Volunteers must be at least 18 unless accompanied by an adult, allowing families with younger children to volunteer together.
Local businesses can also participate by sponsoring one of the event’s 27 candy stations for $250. Sponsors receive signage displaying their logo at a candy station, as well as exposure on the Lantana community website and in mass emails sent to more than 4,000 Lantana homes. The community provides the candy and signage.
The Monster Mile tradition dates to 2003 and has continued even when circumstances made a traditional celebration impossible.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, organizers faced the possibility of canceling the event. Instead, Gold Landscape, Insight Association Management and community volunteers found another way to keep the tradition alive, distributing candy to homes throughout Lantana.
That commitment to community helped the Lantana Community Association earn the 2024 Community Spirit Award from the Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of the Community Associations Institute.
The Monster Mile is traditionally held the Saturday before Halloween, leaving Halloween night open for Lantana families to enjoy neighborhood trick-or-treating together.
Although the event is limited to Lantana residents, organizers say its success demonstrates what can happen when neighbors, volunteers and businesses work together.
For more information on sponsorships or volunteering, contact the Lantana Community Association at 940-728-1660 or [email protected].
Shop local and give back
Kick off your holiday shopping at the Lantana Ladies League Holiday Market on Tuesday, Nov. 17, from 6–9 p.m. at Lantana Golf Club. Shop unique gifts and treats from local vendors while supporting local families in need. General admission is free, or come early for the VIP experience from 6–7 p.m., featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus, a seasonal shopping bag, and more holiday fun. Lantana Golf Club will also have festive cocktails available for purchase. Come shop, mingle, and make a difference in our community this holiday season!
