Most local towns are planning some sort of Halloween trick-or-treating this fall, though most are encouraging residents to take precautions and use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for social distancing while trick-or-treating or handing out candy.
“If there was any holiday that was set up to do this safely, it’s Halloween,” said Wilton Select Board Chair Matt Fish. “It’s outside, people traditionally wear masks anyway, candy is individually wrapped...we can do this.”
Wilton decided last week to set its trick-or-treat hours for Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31 between 5 and 7 p.m., and carry forward with allowing a door-to-door trick-or-treat. Fish said the Select Board waited to hear the recommendations from the state, and are encouraging all precautions, but said that allowing Halloween is important as a “pressure valve release,” particularly for children whose social lives and schooling have been badly interrupted.
“I felt it was important to give our community a chance to let off some steam and provide a ray of hope and a brief rest to our kids,” Fish said, of his support of setting trick-or-treat hours, which was a unanimous decision of Wilton’s board. “Our numbers are very low in the region, and we’re taking precautions, so this can be done safely.”
The CDC guidelines on the matter recommend that people use a facemask when trick-or-treating, and to be aware that Halloween costume masks may not provide a sufficient barrier by themselves. Residents should avoid large gatherings and confined spaces, Halloween parties, and to try to find a way to continue social distancing while visiting houses or handing out candy. Families should stay home if parents or children are unwell.
Wilton followed in the footsteps of multiple other towns which have set their normal trick-or-treat times, including Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Jaffrey and New Ipswich.
Jaffrey has set trick-or-treat hours for 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 31, but TEAM Jaffrey isn’t going to be holding its traditional downtown trick-or-treat, a staple for many residents who go from store-to-store to collect candy.
Some however, are discouraging trick-or-treating, at least in the traditional way.
In Greenville, the Select Board voted unanimously not to hold its annual Pumpkinfest event. The board did discuss the possibility of having a smaller event, such as having children come by in costume to pick out a pumpkin and receive a treat bag, without the typical festival, but ultimately decided on an all-or-nothing approach. In that vein, they also decided not to set trick-or-treat hours, though the board also noted that they were not enforcing an absolute no trick-or-treat policy.
“People are going to do what they’re going to do,” said Selectman Doug Reardon during the Select Board meeting where the board made its decision. However, the board decided that even setting trick-or-treat hours might be seen as “encouraging” behavior.
Hancock, too, has decided not to set hours for trick-or-treat this year. In Francestown, the traditional block party and Main Street trick-or-treating isn’t happening this year, nor have trick-or-treat hours been set.
In Peterborough, the town is “discouraging” door-to-door trick-or-treat, though has still set hours from between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Instead of trick-or-treat from door-to-door, the town is encouraging families to participate a one-way trick-or-treat event at the Vose Farm Business Center. Families can drive through the “haunted” parking lot to get their candy and stop for Halloween photos. Families can pre-register for the event at www.peterboroughrec.com starting on Oct. 21.
Peterborough Fire Chief Ed Walker said the decision to encourage the Vose Farm event rather than traditional trick-or-treat was made in part because activities in Peterborough have the potential to affect all the towns in the ConVal School District. He also said that CDC guidelines consider door to door trick-or-treating a high-risk venture because even if every doorstep interaction is short, an evening's worth can add up to enough face-to-face time to equate to the same risk a person experiences by spending 15 minutes within six feet of another person, the definition of close contact – especially if one or both parties aren't wearing masks.
"There have been a lot of modifications to things going in our lives based on COVID, and unfortunately Halloween is no exception to that," he said. “The town is asking all residents to participate in this event as opposed to higher risk activities such as door-to-door trick-or-treat as outlined by CDC guidelines," he said.
People should not feel obligated to give out candy, he said.
Other towns are carrying on their Halloween traditions, though attempting them on a smaller scale. Rindge’s annual Trunk-or-Treat event, where residents decorate their cars and park in a central location to give out candy, typically draws hundreds of participants, some from over the Massachusetts state line. The town plans to continue that tradition this year, on Oct. 23, though participants are required to register with the recreation department to participate, and the event is for New Hampshire residents only this year.
Temple, which also runs an annual Trunk-or-Treat event, and annual Halloween party at the Town Hall, and is replacing those events this year with a town Halloween costume parade, which will walk by the town common at 5 p.m. on Oct. 31. Participants receive a treat bag and prizes. The Temple Select Board discussed Halloween plans last week but has not set trick-or-treat hours this year.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.
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