Southwestern Illinois cities make hard decisions on Halloween in the age of COVID-19
Halloween just won’t be the same this year for little witches, fairies, superheros and pirates in the metro-east.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the cancellation of Halloween parades in Edwardsville, Alton, Mascoutah, O’Fallon and Wood River, as well as many costume contests, parties and other community events.
“It was a hard decision,” said Steve Schwartz, committee member for the Alton Halloween Parade, which attracts 20,000 to 25,000 spectators each year from throughout the region. “We looked at it in a lot of different ways, but with the virus ... and the crowds that we have, we just felt that the safest thing for the community would be to cancel it.”
It wasn’t the parade’s first cancellation since East End Improvement Association founded it in 1916. There was a break of two or three years during World War II, Schwartz said.
Belleville City Council also has canceled the city’s downtown Halloween party on Oct. 30. It normally attracts 4,000 to 5,000 people for hot dogs, wagon rides and trick-or-treating at businesses along Main Street.
“We just could not conceivably get that many people together and keep them safe,” said Mayor Mark Eckert. “It’s just not appropriate right now.”
The mayor is asking regular Halloween party sponsors to donate money for candy so that police and firefighters can randomly toss it to children who are out in their yards or neighborhoods on Oct. 31.
“We don’t want these children to think that the city has totally forgotten about them,” Eckert said. “But it’s a very difficult year. Our first concern is for their safety.”
Belleville and most other metro-east cities are leaving it up to parents to decide whether to allow children to go trick-or-treating. Regular hours in Belleville are 5 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 31.
Mascoutah officials allude to the coronavirus in a Halloween notice on the city’s website. They’re asking trick-or-treaters to practice social distancing, avoid large groups, wear masks and frequently use hand sanitizer.
The notice also addresses residents: “If any members of your household have tested positive for COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, we ask that you do not distribute treats and leave your light off for the evening.”
Edwardsville officials posted a long list of Halloween safety tips on its website, suggesting that trick-or-treaters wipe down candy or leave it in buckets for 48 hours and that homeowners mark front walks so children know where to stand 6 feet apart. Another idea is hanging candy in trees or otherwise creating a scavenger-hunt-type experience for kids to avoid personal contact.
Below is a roundup of coronavirus-related Halloween developments in more than a dozen metro-east cities and villages. Those not listed haven’t made decisions about trick-or-treating or publicly announced other cancellations.
Breese
The city of Breese will allow neighborhood trick-or-treating from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31, as usual.
Caseyville
The annual Halloween party at Caseyville Community Building has been canceled due to COVID-19, according to Village Clerk Lola Cline. It normally features a hay ride, costume contest and treats.
“They couldn’t figure out how to do it with all those little kids,” Cline said.
Cline referred questions about neighborhood trick-or-treating to Caseyville Police Department, which didn’t return calls for comment.
Collinsville
Collinsville Parks and Recreation District is promoting outdoor fall festivities at Willoughby Farm from Oct. 8-29 and sponsoring a new activity called “Egg-tober” from Oct. 9-31. For $15, city employees will hide two-dozen orange candy eggs in yards of Collinsville and Maryville residents for Easter-egg-style hunts.
“It’s just a fun, low-contact Halloween activity,” said Cheryl Riley, superintendent of recreation.
The city of Collinsville hasn’t yet made a final decision about neighborhood trick-or-treating.
Gateway Center in Collinsville is holding a Monster Mash Halloween Bash on Oct. 24 in its parking lot (opens at 4 p.m.). Activities will include vendors, trunk-or-treating from 5 to 7 p.m. and a drive-in-style showing of the movie “Hotel Transylvania” at 7 p.m. The cost is $20 per car.
Columbia
The city of Columbia has canceled its annual Festifall on Oct. 4 and Hi-Jinks and Scare Square on Oct. 24 due to COVID-19, but officials aren’t prohibiting businesses from handing out candy on Oct. 24 or keeping children from trick-or-treating on Oct. 31.
“At this point, we’re just leaving it up to the community,” said Sue Spargo, assistant to the city administrator.
Downtown businesses in the Historic Columbia Main Street Association will go ahead with their Witches Ghoulish Night Out on Oct. 8, and the city is sponsoring a new Scarecrow Crawl and contest this year. More than 40 businesses and individuals have signed up to make scarecrows and display them along Main Street.
“It starts on Oct. 8 and runs through the end of October,” Spargo said. “People can stroll down Main Street and look at the different scarecrows. It’s just a nice, safe thing to do during COVID-19 to get out of the house and not have to worry about catching anything.”
East St. Louis
The city of East St. Louis will move its annual Halloween festivities from inside City Hall to the parking lot for a trunk-or-treat event this year due to the coronavirus, according to Sarah Joshwa, community liaison and assistant to the mayor.
“We’re inviting organizations that we know will follow our COVID-19 restrictions — wearing masks, bringing sealed bags of candy that are opened here, using gloves to pass out candy and limiting person-to-person contact,” she said. “We want to make sure the kids have a safe place to go trick-or-treating and have fun.”
The city doesn’t designate certain hours for trick-or-treating in neighborhoods on Oct. 31, but it’s not prohibited, Joshwa said.
Edwardsville
Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the city of Edwardsville, has canceled its Halloween parade this year due to COVID-19 restrictions and public safety concerns, according to a Sept. 17 press release.
The parade, which has marched down Main Street for nearly a century, attracts up to 20,000 people each year.
“We respect the significant investment of time and funds from all involved and will do everything in our power, weather permitting, to ensure next year’s (parade) occurs on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021,” chamber President and CEO Desiree Bennyhoff stated in the release.
The city’s annual children’s Halloween costume contest at Edwardsville City Park will become a virtual event Oct. 15-30 on the Parks and Recreation Department Facebook page.
Other “Healthy Halloween” activities will include drive-thru trick-or-treating from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 30 at Plummer Family Sports Park; trick-or-treating at downtown businesses from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 31; and neighborhood trick-or-treating from 4 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31.
“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,” spokeswoman Trina Vetter stated. “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.”
Glen Carbon
Glen Carbon Centennial Library will host a Harry Potter Halloween program at 1 p.m. Oct. 24. Small groups of children will rotate around activity tables to make crafts and pick up treats. They can wear costumes with the option of being part of the library’s virtual costume gallery.
Registration is required. All slots were full on Wednesday, but the library is considering adding more times.
The village of Glen Carbon will allow neighborhood trick-or-treating from noon to 9 p.m. Oct. 31. Coronavirus-related guidelines have been posted on its Facebook page.
Granite City
The city of Granite City isn’t planning any changes to its normal Halloween activities unless something changes with state regulations, according to Kathy Moore, the mayor’s assistant.
“We don’t have a parade like Edwardsville that has to be canceled,” she said. “Ours is just church trunk-or-treats and regular trick-or-treating. We’re asking people to follow the guidelines on social distancing and masks.”
Hours for neighborhood trick-or-treating are 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31.
Hartford
The village of Hartford hasn’t yet made a decision on its annual Halloween parade on Oct. 31 or neighborhood trick-or-treating, which normally is allowed for two nights, according to Mayor Jim Hickerson. It will be discussed at the Village Board meeting on Oct. 7.
Highland
Runners in the Haunted Halloween Hustle in Highland are encouraged to wear costumes to cover a 6.66-mile course from 7:30 to 10 a.m. Oct. 31. They will start near Korte Recreation Center and continue to Frank Watson Parkway and Highland Cemetery, ending at Glik Park.
“Start times will be staggered to abide by social distancing regulations,” according to a calendar listing on the city of Highland’s website.
Highland Parks and Recreation also is hosting a Halloween Candy Trail from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 31 at Glik Park. Children in costume will collect treats from local businesses, compete in a pumpkin-carving contest and participate in other fun activities. Masks are required.
The city will allow neighborhood trick-or-treating from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31.
Lebanon
The annual Lebanon Trunk or Treat on Oct. 24 and Lebanon Witches Night Out on Oct. 25 have been canceled due to COVID-19, according to City Clerk Luanne Holper.
Witches Night Out organizers stayed in character with their Facebook post:
“With our crystal balls so hazy and our fortune tellers unable to get a clear reading, your wno planning coven doesn’t know what is in store with this virus for October. We are committed to protecting the health and safety of our fellow witches. That being said we have decided not to have our annual event in preparation for an even bigger celebration in 2021. Before we all start screaming....What a world! What a world! I suggest we form a calming circle..... distantly of course.”
Lebanon will allow neighborhood trick-or-treating from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31, Holper said. Also, McKendree University has offered to host drive-thru trick-or-treating from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 31 outside Hettenhausen Center for the Arts.
Mascoutah
The city of Mascoutah has canceled the annual Leu Civic Center Halloween Parade and Party on Oct. 25. But it will allow neighborhood trick-or-treating from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31, according to a Sept. 28 website post that states the following:
“While out trick-or-treating, please maintain social distancing, avoid large groups, wear masks, and frequently use hand sanitizer. As always, please avoid walking in the roadways and make sure children’s costumes are highly visible, using glow sticks and reflective tape. Drivers are asked to proceed with caution.
“Homeowners wishing to invite Trick-or Treaters should leave their outside light on. If any members of your household have tested positive for COVID-19 or are experiencing symptoms, we ask that you do not distribute treats and leave your light off for the evening.”
New Baden
The village of New Baden will allow neighborhood trick-or-treating from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31, according to its online calendar.
“Make sure to leave your light on for Trick or Treaters!” the notice reads.
O’Fallon
The Rotary Club of O’Fallon has canceled the Rotary Children’s Halloween Parade and Downtown Trick-or-Treat this year, but it will sponsor a virtual costume contest Oct. 15-29 with kids submitting photos for judging. Winners will be announced Oct. 31 on the club’s Facebook page.
“COVID-19 may have canceled our annual Rotary Children’s Halloween Parade, but it won’t stop us from having some ghoulish fun,” a post states.
The city of O’Fallon will allow neighborhood trick-or-treating from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31, although the fire department won’t host its Halloween Safe Stops, according to a Sept. 29 press release.
Mayor Herb Roach is asking residents to take extra precautions this year.
“Please remember to follow the CDC guidelines to help protect you and your family from COVID-19,” he states in the release. “Please do not participate in trick-or-treating this year if you do not feel comfortable, are immunocompromised, or are COVID-19 positive or have recently been in contact with someone with COVID-19.”
Waterloo
The city of Waterloo has canceled its annual Trunk or Treat on Oct. 31. Normally, decorated cars line up on Main Street, children walk by collecting candy and the fire department serves free hot dogs, popcorn and soft drinks.
“It’s a crowded event, and it would be hard to social distance,” said Shawn Kennedy, the city’s budget officer. “We want to promote safe trick-or-treating.”
The city will allow trick-or-treating in neighborhoods on Oct. 31, but there are no set hours.
Wood River
The annual children’s Wood River Halloween Parade on Oct. 31 and Halloween party and costume contest on Oct. 26 have been canceled due to COVID-19, but the city will allow neighborhood trick-or-treating on Oct. 30 and 31.
The Parks and Recreation Department also is sponsoring a virtual pumpkin-decorating contest, according to Recreation Supervisor Alyssa Daniels.
“We’ll give kids a free (foam) pumpkin, and they can take it home and decorate it,” she said. “Then they will have to email a picture to us, and we’ll judge them, and we’ll post all the pictures on social media.”
The department hasn’t received its shipment of pumpkins yet, but Daniels expects the contest to run throughout October with judging on Oct. 30.
The city of Wood River is expected to post information about neighborhood trick-or-treating on its website later in the week.
