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Leaves in bright colors are beginning to cover the sidewalks; pumpkins are spilling out of bushel baskets at the market and there's a cool nip in the air during an evening stroll.

"If you live in an urban neighborhood like Belhaven or out in a suburban area, a Halloween block party can give you a chance to meet your neighbors in a fun setting," says Tara McNeil, who moved to Jackson recently with her husband and young son.

"Our lives are so busy and spread out, the feeling of community and neighborhood friendship isn't what it was when I was growing up," she says. "Trick or treating on Halloween is a great way to get back that feeling of being a part of a community."

McNeil, who has lived in four cities in 10 years of marriage (her husband's job involves relocation), tries to organize Halloween block parties as a way to introduce herself and her family to the neighbors.

To pull off a successful party, McNeil says planning is a must. "You should start enlisting the help of neighbors ... give each one a particular thing to do."

Other than selecting a menu and organizing games, McNeil advises checking with your local city hall about permits, insurance, zoning and street closures.

"It's worth the trouble, but it can get pretty involved," she says. "If you close the street, you may have to take out liability insurance and obtain the approval of affected neighbors if they choose not to be involved with the party."

"As an alternative, consider organizing a neighborhood progressive trick-or-treat supper," says Barbara Williams, a mother of two who works in Brandon as an office assistant.

"Some of our neighbors are elderly and don't even put out a pumpkin; some don't believe in celebrating Halloween," Williams says. "Over the years, we've formed a little group of participants."

Once you have a good number of households involved, families not providing food can plan games, a costume contest or a backyard haunted house. If neighbors decide to decorate their yards for Halloween, participants can walk down each side of the street to view the yards and award prizes to the best Halloween decorations.

When it comes to Halloween food, Williams' neighbor, Don Taylor, likes to provide guests with an easy-to-eat supper that can be prepared ahead of time and kept warm.

Taylor favors dishes that can be eaten out of a disposable bowl with plastic utensils. Some possibilities? Try red beans and rice (or black beans with saffron rice for a nice Halloweenie look), jambalaya, gumbo or spaghetti and meatballs.

"I'll have three chafers — a warm chocolate sauce for the fruit, a warm cheddar sauce for the veggies and a real fondue with gruyere cheese for the French bread — and for the grownups," she says. "This way we get our fruits and veggies and yummy stuff to go with it."

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