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West Hollywood Carnaval returns
"Battalion Chief" Gina Silva gives us a tour of the Halloween festivities in West Hollywood.
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The first edition of West Hollywood's famed Halloween Carnaval since 2019 was held Tuesday night.
The free event took up the mile-and-a-half stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard between Doheny Drive and La Cienega Boulevard. Tens of thousands of costumed revelers arrived to what the city bills as "one of the most unique Halloween gatherings in the world."
The carnaval featured a stage at the intersection of Santa Monica and San Vicente boulevards with a live DJ set and food trucks.
As in the past, alcohol and public drinking is not permitted along city streets, and backpacks, camera cases or other bags will also not be allowed, though clear plastic bags will be permitted.
Weapons, fireworks and drones are also banned, and children and pets are "strongly discouraged" from attending, according to city officials.
The city suspended its residential parking restrictions from 11 a.m. Tuesday to noon Wednesday. West Hollywood Park's five-story parking structure was closed Tuesday.
The event was held annually from 1987 through 2019 and draws its name from the noun for a public entertainment, often involving processions of people in fancy dress.
In May 2020, the West Hollywood City Council approved the cancellation of all major special events in the city through the end of the year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The city held "an alternative Halloween experience that encouraged entertainment venues and businesses to celebrate safely" in 2021 and 2022, according to Sheri A. Lunn, a spokesperson for West Hollywood.
Meanwhile, what organizers said is the first licensed cannabis experience in Los Angeles County will be held adjacent to the carnaval.
There were eight dispensaries offering 30 cannabis experiences and more than 150 brands at the event organized by The Artist Tree Cannabis Dispensary and Emerald Village West Hollywood, the marketing organization for the city's licensed cannabis businesses.
The event featured music by DJ Ben and DJ Paulo Ramirez, a costume contest, a drag show hosted by Jasmine Masters, a contestant on the 2015 season of the competition series, "RuPaul's Drag Race" and the 2018-19 season of "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars."
The ordinance unanimously approved by the Beverly Hills City Council in September came in response to a request from the Beverly Hills Police Department to address the misuse of those products, according to Lauren Santillana, the city's public information manager.
Police responded to numerous calls in recent years after people would throw those products at other people or spray them on sidewalks, causing people to fall, Santillana told City News Service.
"The council acted upon something that has been discussed for years by law enforcement and neighbors," said Michael Libow, owner of the famed "The Witch's House" in Beverly Hills. Libow said he expects about 5,000 children and their families to come to the house on Halloween.
Libow told City News Service he always sees "many examples of shaving cream, Silly String, etc., around the perimeter of the home on Halloween as well as having many visitors covered in those same products."
"Hair removal products are the main problem and it is a cruel `joke' to play on another person," Libow said. "The other products are annoyances and causes to take the fun out of the evening for many."