By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

As a small second-or-third grader, I received lots of stares and maybe even laughs as I walked down Columbiana Main Street as Jigsaw during Monsters on Main. I was happy and, of course, there was plenty of candy to collect.

Despite the fact that you can’t see the costume you are wearing without looking in the mirror, I believe the greatest joy from Halloween comes from choosing the perfect outfit for your own entertainment. It feels good to dress up as a character from your favorite movie or tv show.

When I was a little kid, I grew up watching horror movies. Regardless of whether I should have or not, I saw every classic slasher flick from the ‘80s to even a few of the newer horror films of the 2000s, which led to a young me dressed as jigsaw for one Halloween. I don’t remember every Halloween outfit I had as a kid, but I sure do remember this one because of the effect it had on others.

Now, many years later, I had the opportunity of being on the other side of things and handed out candy to the little monsters roaming the streets of Columbiana. I got to see plenty of the classic disguises as well as many new ones referencing the most popular movies of the past year.

It was fun to see some familiar faces and the outfits they picked out, either to match a sibling, or be their favorite super hero for a day.

On paper, the Monster Walk is very boring with just a large group of people traveling in a circle down Columbiana Main Street but with the addition of candy, costumes and smiling faces, it has become a staple of the town each year with hundreds of trick-or-treaters and people traveling from all over Shelby County to enjoy the event.

It displays the community spirit of the area as even the local businesses dress up and get involved distributing candy, of which there were more than 5,000 pieces given away this year.

Monsters on Main is a perfect example of Columbiana’s small-town charm and a glimpse at the great family-friendly events that Shelby County has to offer each and every year.