Gray skies and drizzle added a spooky element as President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted a Halloween trick-or-treating event at the White House.
Monday's "Hallo-READ!" event featured book giveaways and story readings by the first lady, who wore feline ears, a tail and a black nose.
After the story, the president and first lady spent about 90 minutes welcoming children from local public schools and from military families, who were invited.
Children went trick-or-treating along the South Lawn of the White House up to the South Portico where the Bidens were handing out both candy and books.
The White House, by the way, was decorated with autumnal foliage, stacks of books, and multi-dimensional displays of ghoulish literary characters and tales.
About 8,000 guests attended the extravaganza. The first lady, a teacher for more than three decades, said she hopes families went home feeling inspired to read more books together.
"From famous literary tales and ghost stories to the spooktacular thrill of reading — we hope families and children pick out their favorite Halloween book, grab a flashlight, and take a moment to enjoy story time together," she posted on social media following the event.