When Are Andover's 2019 Halloween Trick-Or-Treat Hours?

ANDOVER, MA — Andover's town-wide trick-or-treat hours will be from Thursday, October 31, 2019 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. They were shifted one hour earlier than last year due to EEE, the mosquito-born virus with an ongoing outbreak in Massachusetts. Health experts recommending avoiding outdoor activities from dawn to desk, so the town has been restricting outdoor activities after 6 p.m.

"At this point based on what we know ... we think that moving it up an hour makes the most sense," said Town Manager Andrew Flanagan at the Oct. 7 select board meeting.

In 2017, the Andover Police Department posted the following safety tips:

Children should:

• Only approach well-lit houses and always travel in small groups

• Bring treats home before eating them so parents can inspect them

• Wear clothing that is bright, reflective and flame retardant

• Use flashlights for guidance on sidewalks, walkways and when crossing the street

• Make sure masks have eye-holes large enough to see any tripping hazards or oncoming traffic, and mouth openings large enough to breathe easily

• Practice safe street-crossing by using crosswalks and walk signals

• Walk and don’t run from house to house

• Wear sturdy shoes and temperature appropriate clothing under costumes

• Never accept rides from strangers

Parents and guardians should:

• Supervise their children

• Establish a designated curfew for older children

• Make sure children are wearing safe costumes that fit well and don’t drag on the ground

• Apply reflective tape to your child’s arms, legs and treat bags

• Assure costume accessories such as swords and other pointed objects are made with soft and safe materials

• If driving children between houses and neighborhoods, have them get out of cars on the curbside, not on the traffic side.

Homeowners should:

• Keep inside and outside lights on during trick-or-treat hours

• Avoid placing lit candles and jack-o-lanterns on doorsteps and walkways where costumes could brush against them and cause burns or fire

• Only hand out candy that is packaged and wrapped

• Avoid handing out small toys that could cause choking or lead poisoning for small children

See also: Andover's 2019 Halloween Sex Offender Safety Map

Christopher Huffaker: 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.