Ask any kid about their favorite holiday, and Halloween is probably on their Mount Rushmore. Friends! Costumes! Candy!

• But many adults also love Halloween — because it's the one day a year we get an excuse to wander around town and knock on our neighbors' doors.

Why it matters: Only about a quarter of U.S. adults say they know "all or most" of their neighbors, a 2025 Pew Research Center survey found.

• 62% know some neighbors. But another 12% say they don't know a single one.

The big picture: Knowing your neighbors is better for your mental health, longevity and happiness levels, studies have shown.

• And the casual relationships we have with people nearby — the folks we wave to or chat with at the mailbox — are what keep communities strong and connected.

Reality check: A little more neighborliness can't solve everything straining American society right now.

• But it certainly couldn't hurt to at least be on a first-name basis with a few folks on your block or in your building.
• You never know when you might need some help shoveling your sidewalk or jumping your car, and communities can rally together in times of need.

Yes, but: You don't have to wait for Halloween to meet your neighbors.

• Spend some time out in your front yard, say hi to folks doing yard work or washing their car as you walk around, or go to your community yard sales and other events.

💭 Kathryn's thought bubble: I can't cosign this message enough. When I evacuated for Hurricane Milton last year, my neighbors Kerry and Terrence calmed my nerves with text updates on my house and the neighborhood.

• And, of course, it's just great to see them around day to day.

The bottom line: Making a few neighborhood friends is sweeter than any Snickers.

Highs in the 70s. Lows in the 50s. That's it. That's the story.

• Maybe the weather gods had mercy on Tampa Bay considering where we were at this time last year.

The bottom line: Layer up those costumes, sip some mulled wine and enjoy it while it lasts.

Mississippi, Nebraska and Kentucky residents order the most candy corn compared to the national average, per Instacart data shared with Axios.

• Folks in Florida, Hawai'i, and Washington, D.C., meanwhile, want pretty much nothing to do with the stuff.

How it works: That's based on the difference in the share of Instacart orders containing candy corn in each state versus the national average last October.

Go deeper: Forget the argument over whether candy corn is any good — it isn't.

• If, for some crazy reason, you eat the stuff, which end do you start with?

Tattoo shops nationwide are doing Halloween flash events this month, with holiday-themed offerings often available at a discount.

Why it matters: Like Friday the 13th flash deals, Halloween events are a way for tattoo shops to attract new customers.

• Get someone in for an affordable little ghost, skeleton or black cat, the thinking goes, and they might come back for more.

What they're saying: "It's such a saturated market right now, the competition is stiffer than it's ever been," says David C. Lane, an associate professor at Illinois State University and author who researches the intersection of tattooing and capitalism.

• Tattoo artists "have to do something to recruit clientele," Lane says.

Zoom in: A bunch of Tampa Bay parlors are partaking, from the beach, to St. Pete to Tampa, Clearwater and Bradenton.

• Our favorite has to be the manatee dressed as a mermaid in this "Florida costume contest" collection by Jay at Electric Gold on Park Blvd.

🏳️‍🌈 With Tampa Pride events on a one-year hiatus, PFLAG Riverview will host a new Pride festival in March in Ybor City. (Watermark Out News)

🇯🇲 The Tampa Cares Coalition, made up of several nonprofits and entrepreneurs, is collecting donations and coordinating help for Jamaica after the island was devastated this week by Hurricane Melissa. (Tampa Bay Times)

🏖️ The Beachcomber in St. Pete Beach is the latest beach hotel to reopen more than a year after Hurricane Helene. (Times)

• The Gulf-front resort and its live music bar, Jimmy B's, are welcoming back guests five months after the previous estimated reopening date of June 1.

🏗️ Tampa General Hospital is planning to build a hospital and medical offices on the eastern end of Ybor City, developer Darryl Shaw told Tampa City Council members yesterday. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

• The hospital is eyeing 10 acres in the area of 2701 East Second Ave., just north of IKEA, with the option to buy an additional 6.45 acres.

Clearly the word has spread about St. Pete's newest public art installation, because a bunch of y'all got this right!

• The Sunshine City Mosaic at Sunset Park is 175 feet long and made of up more than 15,000 tile pieces depicting Florida wildlife.

Flo can confirm: It's beautiful. Shout-out to the artists, Laura Spencer, Alex Kaufman and George Retkes.

🎉 And congrats to our winners, Maureen M., Cheryl M., Emily B., Helen F., Donna P., Dawn S., Roger P. and Vaughn W.!