Highland Around Town — Oct. 27 edition

Noon Wednesday, Oct. 27, is the deadline to appear in next week’s “Around Town” listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Due to the number of submissions, events may run only one time in print, will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.

Email: lifestyle@bnd.com. Mail to: Highland News Leader Around Town, Belleville News-Democrat, P.O. Box 427, Belleville, IL 62222-0427. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.

Thursday, Oct. 28

▪ National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. Virtual support meetings for family members and other caregivers of individuals with mental illness. Meetings are peer-led and rely on the knowledge and experiences of the group to help one another. Registration is required in order to receive the link to these meetings. For more information or to register, contact Pat Rudloff at silverlining6@charter.net.

Thursday, Oct. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 31

▪ St. Dominic Parish Rummage and Bake Sale — 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30 and Sunday, Oct. 31. St. Dominic Parish Center, 493 N. 2nd St., Breese. All items are half-price on Saturday, $3 brown bag sale or two bags for $5 on Sunday. A carryout luncheon will be available each day of the sale.

Friday, Oct. 29

▪ Treats on the Streets — 1-5 p.m. Town Square, Highland. Businesses and organizations around town will be handing out candy to anyone who wishes to participate. Some businesses will be set up at their brick-and-mortar locations, while others will be setup on the square. For more information: facebook.com/events/271481634702161.

▪ Red Cross Blood Drive — 1-6 p.m. Tri Township Park, 410 Wickliffe, Troy. Appointments recommended but not required. To make an appointment visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767.

▪ Highland Fish Fry — 4-7 p.m. VFW Post 5694, 1900 VFW Road, Highland. Fish, chicken, shrimp, sides. Carryout and limited indoor dining. Masks required for customers going through the serving line. No call-in orders. facebook.com/vfwpost5694

▪ Aviston Legion Fish Fry — 4:30-7 p.m. American Legion Post 1239, 601 S. Clinton, Aviston. Cod (baked or fried), catfish, shrimp, chicken strips, fries, baked potato, slaw, applesauce. Dine-in and carryout. 618-228-7311 or avistonlegion.com.

Friday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Oct. 30

▪ Fliter Plays Schumann — 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 29, and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30. Powell Hall, 718 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis. Guest conductor Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider and the SLSO explore the many meanings of home. Karim Al-Zand’s “Luctus Profugis” honors the courage of refugees fleeing Syria. “Má vlast” is Bedřich Smetana’s search for the voice of his native Bohemia. Pianist Ingrid Fliter finds comfort in the beating heart of Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto. For tickets and information, visit slso.org.

Saturday, Oct. 30

▪ Halloween Party in the Park — 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. City Park, 101 S. Buchanan St., Edwardsville. Community Candy Walk will include local businesses and organizations that will line the sidewalks around City Park with decorated booths/spaces and give out treats. Little trick-or-treaters can participate in the annual Costume Contest at noon with categories covering all age groups plus group costumes and pets. Head off down to Main Street for some Downtown Trick-or-Treating. cityofedwardsville.com

▪ 17th annual Chili/Soup Cook-off & 7th annual Cupcake Wars — 3-7 p.m. New Baden Community Park, New Baden. Includes 14 chili teams, 11 soup teams and four cupcake teams. All-you-can-eat arm bands available for $12 each starting at 2 p.m. on day of event. Live music and car show. facebook.com/NewBadenChamberOfCommerce

Tuesday, Nov. 2

▪ The Hett Film Art Series: ‘Kinky Boots’ (2005) — 6 p.m. Russel E. and Fern M. Hettenhausen Center for the Arts, 400 N. Alton St., Lebanon. Based on a true story, the film tells of a struggling British shoe factory’s young, strait-laced owner, who forms an unlikely partnership with a drag queen to save the business. Rated PG-13. 1 hour, 48 minutes. Screen Talk host: Dr. Jessica Campbell, associate professor of English. Free admission. 618-537-6863 or thehett.com.

▪ Parents of Addicted Loved Ones — 7-8:30 p.m. Online via Zoom. The PAL group provides education, support and hope to family members and loved ones of someone who has an addiction of substance use disorder. If you would like to join the teleconference, please call/text 618-567-6095 or email craigloddeke@yahoo.com. palgroup.org

Other area happenings

▪ City of the Sun 5K Trail Run — 9 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 7. Cahokia Mounds, 30 Ramey St., Collinsville. Join this rain-or-shine event to help raise funds to preserve Cahokia Mounds. Please be aware that this is a trail run and that the ground may be wet and uneven. Entry fee: $30. For more information: cahokiamounds.org.

▪ Polar Express Train Ride — Wednesday, Nov. 17, through Thursday, Dec. 30. St. Louis Union Station, 201 S. 18th St., St. Louis. Tickets are now on sale for the Polar Express Train Ride holiday attraction at St. Louis’ Union Station. Tickets start at $35. Prices will vary by day and time. stlthepolarexpressride.com

Halloween safety tips

This Halloween, HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland is recommending parents take precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Although trick-or-treating is mostly an outdoor activity, there is still opportunity for close contact with neighbors,” said Dr. Vinay Bhooma, St. Joseph’s chief medical officer. “So, it is important to remember that we are in the middle of a pandemic and we need to continue to wear a facemask, wash our hands and maintain social distance.”

The Illinois Department of Health recommends trick-or-treating be done outdoors and in small groups. Parents around the world have had to make adjustments for their children as the pandemic continues, but there are some fun alternatives to consider this Halloween.

A few trick-or-treating alternatives include:

• Create a scavenger hunt around the backyard using flashlights to find hidden candy and other goodies.
• Decorate an area in the house, turn on scary music, wear costumes and record a Halloween family greeting to share on social media or via text to friends and family.
• Have a movie night watching some of mom or dad’s favorite Halloween classics.
• Plan a special Halloween-themed meal with people who live in the house.
• Host a virtual Halloween party to show off costumes and play virtual games.

Contact-less trick-or-treating is possible by creating individual treat bags and leaving them on a table on the front walkways, sidewalks or any outdoor space that allows for at least 6 feet of social distance from the door.

Costume and traffic safety are also important. According to the National Safety Council, Halloween brings about more risks for children than any other day of the year.

The organization recommends the following:

• Use flashlights, glow sticks, and reflective tape on costumes to be visible in the dark.
• Stay on sidewalks, cross at designated intersections, and stay in well-lit areas.
• Alcohol-based hand sanitizer should be carried and used frequently.
• Candy collected during trick-or-treating should not be consumed until after hand washing. As always, a parent/guardian should check all candy to make sure it is wrapped and discard any unwrapped candy.
• Wear a cloth mask instead of plastic, latex or silicone. A costume mask, such as those worn for Halloween, is not a substitute for a face covering.

The best way to keep safe this holiday season is by getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and the flu. For more tips on how to celebrate the holidays safely, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/celebrations.html or the IDPH website.

This story was originally published October 21, 2021 at 10:00 AM.