EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. — The City of Edwardsville announced trick-or-treating days and times along with other events for the community to celebrate a “Healthy Halloween.”
The Department of Parks and Recreation will host a virtual costume contest from Oct. 15 to Oct. 30 on the department’s Facebook page. Participants can enter in one of these categories: age 0-3, age 4-6, age 7-9, age 10-12, family/group or pets.
The Edwardsville YMCA will be hosting a trick-or-treat drive-thru event on Oct. 30 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Plummer Family Park at 3501 Sports Park Drive. Vendors will have decorated vehicles and will hand candy to cars that drive through the event. Vendors will wear masks and gloves and will practice social distancing, according to a press release.
The Downtown Trick-or-Treating event will take place on Oct. 31 from noon to 2:30 p.m.
“We are planning to bring the costume contest back as part of an even bigger event next year to kick off Downtown Trick-or-Treating. 2021 will be a great year!” said Trina Vetter, Special Event Coordinator for the City of Edwardsville Department of Parks and Recreation. “We are asking people to still be conscientious of the health concerns and wear a mask that covers their nose and mouth as they trick-or-treat downtown. It is a great time to pull out some creativity and decorate those coverings – but still a chance to come out and enjoy our wonderful downtown businesses.”
With the cancellation of the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce Annual Halloween Parade, both cities have agreed to hold trick-or-treating on Oct. 31 from 4-9 p.m.
“It is our priority to keep everyone healthy this Halloween. We feel that limiting trick-or-treating to the traditional October 31 is the right move for our community,” said City of Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Director Nate Tingley. “We encourage everyone to celebrate with their families, trick-or-treat safely in their own neighborhoods using social distancing guidelines and sanitizing hands frequently, and have a Healthy Halloween."
Edwardsville released the following guidelines for trick-or-treating:
- Keep your group size limited to those in your immediate household.
- Remain 6 feet away from anyone outside of your group.
- Wipe down candy or leave in your bucket for 48 hours after trick-or-treating
- Whether handing out candy or trick-or-treating, be courteous to others by wearing a mask that covers your nose and mouth. Carry hand sanitizer and use it regularly.
- For those handing out candy, wear gloves or sanitize your hands frequently, drop candy into awaiting trick-or-treaters’ bags, and avoid allowing kids to reach into the candy bowl on their own.
- Mark 6-foot lines on the sidewalk in front of your home and leading to your driveway/front door to help small visitors know how far apart to stand.
- Place a table or some other barrier between yourself and visiting trick-or-treaters to ensure they remain 6 feet away. Consider placing candy on the table for trick-or-treaters to choose themselves.
- As driveways are usually wider and provide more room, consider setting a table on your driveway.
- If you are not participating, remember to turn off your outdoor lights to signal to others that your house is not handing out candy this year.
- If you or anyone in your home are exhibiting symptoms or if you have had contact with anyone potentially exposed to the COVID-19 virus, please stay home, do not hand out candy, and enjoy the Halloween remotely this year.
“We have some fun ideas to help families make this Halloween an even more memorable one,” said Vetter. “I personally love some of these ideas enough that I think they will become part of my new tradition.”
Edwardsville will release more information regarding the trick-or-treat drive-thru event as well as tips to help make this Halloween “as fun, festive and healthy as possible” on its website and Facebook page.