Halloween - Trick or Treat Message

As we near the Halloween holiday, the City of Wooster would like to provide information for the safe trick‐or‐ treating of our children. The City has periodically been asked by some residents about dedicating one day for the entire City to hold trick‐or‐treat events. The City has also found that many neighborhoods prefer to establish their own trick‐or‐treat events around Halloween. The most common day selected by neighborhoods over the years has been the last Saturday of the month.

That being the case, the city is encouraging all trick‐or‐treat events be scheduled between 4 PM and 8 PM on the last Saturday of October and will recognize that day and time as the City‐wide trick‐or‐treat event.

While we understand that not all neighborhoods will observe the suggested date and time, having one, city‐wide recognized event will help with police coverage and hopefully provide a safe and fun Halloween for all. We will continue to keep a list on the City website of any neighborhoods or organizations who prefer to establish their own trick‐or‐treat events around Halloween and who notify the City. Please see the link below to report your event date & time.

Trick or Treat Participation Guidelines

• If you ARE giving out candy, please turn ON your porch/garage lights.

• If you are NOT giving out candy, please turn OFF your porch/garage lights.

We would ask that each family respect these guidelines. If a home has no porch lights on, please do not knock on the door or ring the doorbell. We have some in the community who are at higher health risk, have different work/sleep schedules or simply do not wish to participate, and this will help ensure we are respecting the safety of everyone.

In addition to a single recognized day and time, we encourage parents to keep in mind important safety tips while trick‐or‐treating and after they arrive home with tasty candy treats.
Please take note of the safety tips provided by the Wooster Police Department as you celebrate this year.

1. Know the neighborhood in which you plan to trick or treat. Pick houses that you feel comfortable letting your children visit. Do not visit homes that are isolated or poorly lit.
2. Children should be accompanied by a parent or trusted adult and walked to the door by the parent to receive treats. Children should NEVER enter a home at any time.
3. Safety in Numbers: If your children are old enough to trick‐or‐treat on their own without an adult, have your children go in a group.
4. Tell your children to only go up to houses where there are lights on and houses that have Halloween decorations.
5. Make sure your costumes do not drag on the ground, preventing children from tripping over their costumes and causing injury.
6. Instead of masks, have your children wear face paint so they can see their surroundings better.
7. When your children have arrived home, check your candy before they eat it. Throw out any candy that is not in its original wrapper or looks like it has been tampered with.
8. Say “NO” to strangers. Tell your children to never accept a ride or go anywhere with a stranger.
9. Obey the law. Encourage your children to follow all the regular rules for walking around. That includes looking both ways before crossing the street, obeying all traffic laws, and using crosswalks when available.
10. Be aware of your surroundings at all times and have a great time