VALENTINE, Neb. - It’s quite the sight to see. From cute, little pumpkins to witches riding snails, and even a few lurking dinosaurs, hundreds of costumed kids parade down Valentine’s Main Street every Halloween, including Teddy Giese…or should we say…

“I’m Beetlejuice,” said Giese.

The Chamber of Commerce has been brewing up this Halloween tradition for decades.

“We love showing appreciation to the community for their support throughout the year,” said Valentine Chamber of Commerce Director Jenny Moore.

During the event, which shuts down Main Street to traffic, downtown business owners also hand out treats.

“It definitely helps with economic development. It brings more people into town and into the businesses. The store owners have a lot of fun dressing up and handing out candy to all of the kids,” said Moore.

Another feature of the event is the Scare in the Square—a variety of games hosted by local law enforcement.

“Look around. This is great. There are hundreds and hundreds of kids. We just love it,” said Valentine Police Chief Dana Miller.

The Valentine Police Department estimates that around 450 people came to this year’s celebration.

“We go back to the dinosaur age. We have Minions. We have scary things, and then we have the Park Service people in their uniforms, and it’s terrifying,” said Miller.

All jokes aside, events like this can help the community in a serious way.

“These kids see us in a non-emergency at these types of events. When it gets to be crazy in their life, they feel comfortable talking to us. It’s a great opportunity to get these kids to know us on a personal level,” said Miller.

A not-so-spooky event that becomes a yearly tradition for hundreds of kids.

“Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year,” said Giese.