Australians have opened their homes and wallets to Halloween with families of ghouls, ghosts and goblins taking to neighbourhood streets nationwide.
Thousands of locals gathered at one event in the Melbourne suburb of Yarraville on Tuesday, with costumes including everything from inflatable pumpkins to a framed Mona Lisa portrait stand-in.
More than 5.3 million Australians marked Halloween this year in what is growing as a popular tradition, the Australian Retailers Association said.
Spending on the event has been rising steadily in recent years and was forecast to hit $490 million this year.
An estimated 2000 people attended Stay Spooky Yarraville in the suburb's centre, the latest iteration of a street party that has been running in various forms for 15 years.
"Community interaction was outstanding, incredible costuming from both kids and grown-ups, so that's always exciting," event manager Carla Smith said.
At least 50 businesses took part, with trick-or-treating on offer from shopfronts and kids encouraged to dress up.
"They do an incredible job of spending a ridiculous amount of money on lollies and treats for the kids," Ms Smith said.
Australian Associated Press
