Frankfort Plans To Set Trick-Or-Treating Hours

FRANKFORT, IL — With Halloween a little over a month away, many parents are wondering if towns will allow trick-or-treating. In Frankfort, Mayor Jim Holland said the village has also received inquiries from residents about the holiday.

"Halloween is not run by the Village of Frankfort," Holland said during the Sept. 21 village board meeting. "Frankfort does not have a public health department, so it's really not appropriate for us to give instruction about potential health aspects of trick-or-treating."

In the past the Village has set trick-or-treating hours of 4 to 7 p.m., and Holland said he expects to announce the same hours at a later October board meeting.

Holland added that he doesn't believe the Village has the authority to ban Halloween or require trick-or-treating.

"Participation in trick-or-treating is really an individual choice," Holland said. "Parents can allow their children to trick-or-treat, or they can tell their children they cannot trick-or-treat, or they can come up with an alternative."

Holland said he plans to leave candy out on a table on his walkway to his home. If the weather cooperates, he said he will sit outside to welcome trick or treaters from six feet away.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released guidance for fall and winter holidays.

It did list traditional trick-or-treating as a higher risk activity and stated the costume masks should not be used in place of cloth face masks. You also should not wear a costume mask over a cloth masks, because it can make it hard to breathe. The CDC suggested using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.

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