Fun at the Scare Faire!

Posted on October 12, 2026 by promiserani

The Scare Faire was a lot of fun this year, even though a bit smaller. About 40-50 people attended, and at least a hundred costumes were exchanged. Everyone tabling was engaged, including our face painters and welcome tablers.

This year we didn’t have any middle or high school volunteers, but thanks to everyone who spread the word. We did have a thriving event, still, with Greenwaste and their fun sorting guessing game, plus Canopy with their own cool tree trivia, two kids doing face painting, our toilet paper roll owls, a welcome table with a Spy the Spice guessing game, and lots of costumes!

Lots of people also got creative with Fabmo’s fabric, tying them on as capes, draping them in new ways, and planning on making their own costumes out of the various pieces.

Thank you to the Museum of American Heritage (MoAH) and Lauren for hosting in their beautiful space with the garden for yet another year, to Greenwaste (Lucia and Vibha) and Canopy (Anna, Indira and the other volunteers!) for their table activities and enthusiasm, to Fabmo for all their beautiful fabrics. Also thanks to longtime Transitioners: Barbara for welcoming and setup, Roy and Chris for the welcome table and great conversations. To my family members: mom Suha (visiting from San Diego) for her Spy the Spice game, and my daughter and niece for face painting and helping with crafts. Also thanks to volunteer Roya and a couple of other attendees who just showed up but helped sort and hang up costumes or clean up too! Thank you to YCS (fun fact: the Costume Swap, after it was at the Palo Alto Library, was run at Blossom Birth, run by Mora Oomen now at YCS!) and Michael at Zero Waste Palo Alto in addition to everyone else for spreading the word about the event also!

And lastly but certainly not least, thank you to Peter Ruddock, though not nearby, who has been our Scare Faire partner-in-crime on this event since 2014 and even earlier when we had “Sharing Expos” – still helping out with logistics from afar!

Transition, as you may know, is all about building a positive vision of the future in which we stop relying on fossil fuels but still live wonderful, connected, local lives. Our little hub of Transition Palo Alto has shrunk over the years to a lean group of people, but every year the Scare Faire reminds me that the spirit of that positive vision is alive and well.

Thank you, as well, to everyone who attended and made this event possible, for taking a dare on sharing a new costume and passing it down, for being good neighbors to each other and to our shared planet. The remaining costumes continue to find new homes in our neighborhood, continuing your generosity year after year.

Thanks again to MoAH, Zero Waste Palo Alto, Greenwaste, Fabmo, PTA Council, YCS, YCAB, and Canopy for all your support and sharing.

We hope to see you all again next year!

Saturday, October 10, 2026, 1-3pm: Scare Faire and Costume Swap

Posted on August 18, 2026 by promiserani

The Scare Faire is yet again full of spooky fun and haunting the Museum of American Heritage – on Saturday, October 10th, 2026, 1-3pm.

Old costumes gathering cobwebs? Float them over to possess a new home in Transition Palo Alto and Museum of American Heritage’s Costume Swap. Bring your adult and child costumes in good condition (as well as Halloween decorations) right at 1pm, get a number, and start choosing any of the costumes at 1:15!

Don’t have any old costumes? Come anyway – there are usually some left, and we’ll also have extra fabric from Fabmo to make your own.

Also come to check out our Scare Faire – a traditional Transition Palo Alto Share Faire with some Halloween twists – now partnering with environmentally-minded students from Palo Alto. Learn a skill, find something in need of a home, meet your neighbors, have some fun.

We’ll once again haunt the bewitching Museum of American Heritage with our Halloween Scare Faire, a chance to get to know your ghastly neighbors, scare, and share.

Here are the planned activities:

Greenwaste – Trash sorting game and information
Fabmo – fabric samples for making your own costumes or crafts
Student-run activities
(Temporary) tattoos and face painting
Live music
and more!

Come in costume if you like, or leave in a new one! Either way, come with your BOOtiful spirit for some cool tricks and treats.

And we’ll creep it real with each other while building a stronger community from the bones up.

Please plan to join us. If you’d like to volunteer as a greeter, for set-up or clean-up, sign up at https://signup.com/go/xcXDZkQ

Free, donations appreciated.

Want to learn more about our Sharing Events? More info here.

Thanks to support for Moah, Zero Waste Palo Alto, Greenwaste, Fabmo and the Palo Alto Council of PTAs.

Scary Good Scare Faire!

Posted on November 23, 2025 by promiserani

The Scare Faire was a big success this year, with a nice big turnout (an estimated 150+ people). We ran out of pumpkins to paint, and most of the bags to decorate. Everyone tabling was engaged.

Thank you to high school students Aiden and Elsa (and others) from YCAB (Youth Climate Advisory Board) for their poster and hosting the pumpkin and bag-making tables. Thanks to middle schoolers Shreya and Reya from YCS and their mom Radhika, along with Wendy Breu for their incredible hard work setting up the costume swap (hundreds of costumes and fabrics!). Thanks to Andrea, Sumita, and Sue, who chipped in in many ways and set up signage so it was clear and bright. Shreya and Reya painted faces, set up the hanging rack, and helped clean up the inside room. Greenwaste’s trash sorting game was super popular. Milo’s piano music set the mood beautifully and kept people coming in. Peter’s welcome table was also sweet. Thanks to Emma, Lauren and everyone at MoAH for their help, clean up, set up and space and materials, plus their beautiful museum and garden – year after year.

Thanks to everyone else who helped in small and large ways, and Barbara, Roy, Chris, and other regulars, who make the Scare Faire a friendly, warm place to hang out.

Thanks again to MoAH, Zero Waste Palo Alto, Greenwaste, Fabmo, PTA Council, and YCS for all your support and getting the word out – it really made a difference!

We found new homes for hundreds of costumes! The remaining costumes ad decorations found new homes in preschools, homes with small kids, adults who love dress up, and donation centers. The memories, however, will linger – until we get together again next year.

Thank you to everyone who came and shared, wore a new-to-you costume, and participated in being frugal, community-minded, and environmentally friendly.

Sunday, October 19, 2025, 1-3pm: Scare Faire and Costume Swap

Posted on September 10, 2025 by promiserani

The Scare Faire is yet again full of spooky fun and haunting the Museum of American Heritage – on Sunday, October 19th, 2025, 1-3pm.