November 2, 2026

At the close of Red Ribbon Week, Hughson Elementary School and Fox Road Elementary School said “Boo to Drugs!” while dressing in their Halloween costumes, enjoying special Halloween-related activities culminating in their annual Halloween parades.

Fox Road Elementary School students got their start early, beginning the parade down Fox Road to Samaritan Village at 1:30 p.m. Parents lined Fox Road to cheer them on and take photos, while at Samaritan Village, residents and staff were ready with costumes and candy to hand out to the students. The children moved quickly along the parade line, looping around the main entrance and exiting at the Fox Road gate, where they returned to school. The entire student body participates in the parade, although students are not required to wear a costume. This year, along with traditional princesses, witches, inflatable creatures, and scary movie characters, several students coordinated group costumes as minions, M&Ms, and Cat in the Hat characters.

At Hughson Elementary School, the parade down Hughson Avenue looked a little different this year, as TK led the parade. Hughson Elementary School preschoolers instead attended a rescheduled field trip to the pumpkin patch. The parade began at the school at 2:15 p.m., as students walked down Charles Street before turning onto Hughson Avenue. Students walked through the high school before returning to the Hughson Elementary School campus.

“The best part of this week of festivities is seeing the excitement through the children's eyes,” Principal Megan Reisz said. “They love dressing up and celebrating. One of the highlights of the parade is when students see their families or when we are walking through the high school, and our students see siblings or other family members, or they see the high schooler who works in their classroom. Our high school students get equally as excited seeing their little buddies all dressed up. It is a very special part of being in this great community.”

The nearly 50 teachers and staff got into the fun with handmade signs, creative costumes, and amusing alliteration, including Spooky Animals Cookies, Camp Hatch, Mrs. Cornejo’s Pumpkin Patch, and Mrs. Sgamba’s Howl-o-ween Huskies.

Streets remained closed for the City of Hughson’s Trunk or Treat from 4 to 7 p.m., followed by the Hughson High School football game.