Every October, as the nights get longer and the fog rolls across the Valley, old stories start to stir again — the kind that grandparents swore were true and parents used to tell to keep us out of trouble.

Some of these tales were meant to scare us into being good, others to make us laugh — but all of them have found a home in our hearts (and maybe still make us glance over our shoulder when we walk Main Street after dark).

This Halloween, we asked locals — from Newman and from Gustine — to share the spooky (and slightly silly) tales their parents and grandparents used to tell them. None of it’s real, of course… but try telling that to the kid who still runs past the old bank building after sunset!

The Lamplighter of Newman’s Main Street

Newman resident Isabella Morales laughs every time she tells it.

“My grandpa used to say there was a ghostly lamplighter who came back every October to finish his rounds. If you stayed out too late, he’d tap his lantern and tell you to get home before curfew.”

She adds with a grin, “I think it was his way of making sure we didn’t hang out past nine. But we still looked for that flickering light every Halloween. It’s funny because I don’t even know if Newman had lamp lighters back then. I really should stop by the museum and see if grandpa was just making that up too”

The Crying Window on Second Street

Gabriel Perez says his mom’s story was less about ghosts and more about guilt trips.

“She told us that if we didn’t help clean up our toys, the lady in the window would cry because her house was messy,” he said. “We had no idea it was her sneaky way of getting us to pick up after ourselves! My dad would even go out at night and tap the glass right after mom would get finished telling me and my friends the story just to spook us into running up the stairs and eat our candy after trick r treating”

Now, Gabriel tells the same story to his kids — and it still works.

The Shadow on Gustine’s Main Street

Elena Duarte remembers her grandmother’s dramatic flair.

“She’d tell me a story about a shadow that followed kids who didn’t listen to their parents. It never hurt anyone — it just made sure they got home before dark. 8 year old me ate that story up and would always start running home the second I saw the street lights turn on.”

Elena chuckles. “Looking back, I think the ‘shadow’ was just Grandma waiting on the porch to catch me sneaking candy from the corner store.”

The Bell at the Old Bank

Miguel Ramos says his dad’s ghost story came with a moral.

“If we didn’t save our allowance, he’d say, ‘The ghost teller from the old bank will come asking for your savings!’” Miguel said. “He’d even tap a spoon on the counter to make the bell sound.”

It didn’t scare him much — but it did make him start saving his quarters.

The Nurse of the Old Hospital Road

Vanessa Lopez said her father’s story about the ghost nurse was legendary in their family.

“He told us she only appeared to kids who stayed up too late watching TV. She’d knock on the window and say, ‘Time for bed, young patient!’” Vanessa said with a laugh. “Pretty sure it was his way of getting us to turn the TV off before midnight. Whenever we drove to Gustine for dinner I would always stare at the hospital and see if I could catch a glimpse of her.”

The Woman on the Road to Los Banos

And then there’s Anthony Rubio’s grandmother’s tale — which he shared every child in his family seems to have heard at least once.

“She said there was a lady who wandered the road at night, looking for kids who didn’t buckle their seatbelts,” he said. “If you didn’t buckle up, she’d appear in the backseat! One time I was with a friends family and Jared wasn’t buckled which got me in a panic since we were getting close to the bend leaving town. You would have thought I was the one about to get grabbed by the spirit after how I was hootin and hollering to get him to buckle up.”

He laughs. “That one stuck with me. I’ve been wearing my seatbelt ever since.”

The Ghost Rooster of Gustine’s Alley

And finally, Maria Torres recalls a farmyard legend only her dad could’ve invented.

“He said there was a ghost rooster that crowed at midnight if you didn’t finish your dinner,” Maria laughed. “One night we heard a random rooster somewhere nearby and screamed! He couldn’t stop laughing for days.”

Folklore, Family, and Fun

Whether they were meant to teach lessons, get a laugh, or give a gentle scare, these stories remind us that the best kind of Halloween chills come from the ones we share — together.

So this October, pull up a chair, pour some hot cocoa, and tell those old tales again. They may not be true, but they’re truly ours.