How To Trick-Or-Treat Safely In Glenview

GLENVIEW, IL — Halloween will have a much different feel in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Trick-or-treating in large groups and hosting parties are against recommendations, but some people have found creative ways to keep the spirit of the annual Oct. 31 holiday.

Trick-or-treating is on in Glenview. Oct. 31 falls on a Saturday this year, but the prospect of trick-or-treating in the middle of a pandemic is scary for many. The Village of Glenview urges families to consider what is best for them given the latest scientific and health advice for COVID-19.

If trick-or-treating is your choice, Village hours are 3-7 p.m. rain or shine. Children should wear face coverings effective for COVID-19, not just a costume mask. Residences that choose to participate should leave on a porch light or can leave a container of treats outside.

Keep these tips in mind if your kids haunt the neighborhood:

• Accompany children (or send an older sibling) and make sure they don't enter anyone's home without your permission.
• Map out a trick-or-treat route for your children to follow.
• Make sure kids cross only at corners — and look in all directions first. Remind them to use sidewalks or walk facing traffic so approaching cars can be seen.
• Caution them against crossing the street between parked cars, where driver's can't see them.
• Warn children not to eat any goodies until you've had a chance to inspect them. When in doubt, throw it out.

Residents can make known whether they do or don't welcome trick-or-treaters by posting a sign in their window.

Unlike St. Patrick’s Day, when the pandemic was just a few days old, Halloween enthusiasts have had time to prepare for different kinds of celebrations this year.

Building a candy chute has been touted as a fast and fairly simple way to ensure trick-or-treaters can get the sweets without contact.

An Arlington, Virginia, woman told the Washington, D.C., ABC affiliate she bought a PVC pipe, had the kids paint it orange and black, decorated it and attached it to the porch.

Transforming a front yard into a candy graveyard and holding a Halloween egg hunt are among 14 other ideas for low-contact trick-or-treating shared by Fun365, a website that offers party, wedding and classroom ideas.

Lower-risk activities recommended by the CDC include carving pumpkins, decorating the house, having a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt and a virtual costume contest.

“If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters,” the CDC states.

RELATED:
How To Roast Seeds After Pumpkin Patch Visit In Glenview
Glenview Fall Fun: Pumpkin Patches, Spooky Stories
15 Sex Offenders In Glenview: 2020 Safety Map