The streets of Lincoln Avenue were taken over by a host of masked characters, children dressed as animals and even a family of skeletons, complete with a painted horse.

Steamboat Springs Fire Rescue parked on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and Ninth Street, raising the ladder all the way up, which was the same spot where the costume contest was underway, with a seemingly endless playing of a popular Halloween tune asking trick-or-treaters who they were going to call.

Businesses all along Steamboat’s main drag set up tables and handed out candy to the hundreds that filled each block. Families of astronauts ran into others dressed as their extraterrestrial brethren, with smiles all around.

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For the first time in two years — missing last year because of the pandemic — the Halloween Stroll returned to Downtown Steamboat Springs on Sunday and so did a community missing the camaraderie the stroll provides.

“We’ve been every year, so last year was upsetting,” said Teyha Martinez, who was dressed as Mary Jane Watson with her husband Mamo, dressed as Spiderman, and their baby spider Teyana. “We’re super excited because (Teyana) understands this year. … I like this because you can see more people in one area.”

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The evening had a somewhat spooky mood, as well, with intermittent showers, the occasional lightning strike and booming thunder from afar, forcing strollers to pick up the pace as they headed for the nearest shop awning.

The rain wasn’t enough to wash white paint off the side of Darkira, Margaret Stees’ tall, black steed painted to match the rest of the family of skeletons, including one with a shovel and bucket bringing up the rear.

Outside Johnny B. Goods Diner, Steamboat Springs Council member Kathi Meyer could barely keep french fries handy as strollers on the packed sidewalk lined up, while a new batch finished in the fryer.

“We’ve been doing it for a lot of years,” Meyer said, between warnings to costumed Steamboaters that the fries were hot. “It just make sense for everybody to come down to one place.”

Reporter Dylan Anderson contributed to this report.

To reach John F. Russell, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966.