Trick-or-treat times, dates in place
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For those who like to plan ahead, we are releasing times for trick-or-treating in the area. Batesville, Dillsboro, and Moores Hill will be offering trick-or treat times on Thursday, October 31 from 6-8 p.m.
For Milan, Osgood, Versailles and Holton, the times are October 31 from 5-7 p.m. Osgood and Versailles will have parades following the trick-or-treat at 7:00 p.m.
Friendship will celebrate with Valleyween on Sunday, October 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. There will be a hayride, crafts for kids, and candy. Trick or Treat night will be Wednesday, October 30.
Parents are reminded to dress their little gobblins and princesses in brightly colored, reflective clothing if possible. Stay with your children and watch for traffic in the areas where you trick-or-treat. Pedestrian injuries are the most common injuries reported on Halloween.
According to information from the National Safety Council, costumes should be fire-resistant. Avoid masks and make sure makeup is nontoxic. Remove the makeup before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation.
If children are old enough to go trick-or-treating alone, make sure you know where they are headed and agree on a specific time for them to return. Remind children of all ages to never get into a stranger’s car or home. Children should only go to well-lit areas and stay with their friends. Also, parents are advised to tell their children to not eat any candy or treat until they get home where it can be looked at by a parent or responsible adult.
Motorists are asked to do their part. Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. The National Safety Council says to enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully. Watch for children in dark clothing.
New, inexperienced drivers should be discouraged from driving on Halloween during the peak hours of trick or treating.
What about the home where children will be coming for trick-or-treating? You should remove anything a child could trip over from the porch or front yard. Have a bright outdoor light. Sweep sidewalks and steps that have wet leaves on them. And, finally, restrain pets to keep them from jumping on a child as they beg for candy.
Having a flashlight as you move from house to house is a great idea. Only go to homes with a porch light on.
A good meal prior to trick-or-treating could help discourage kiddos from filling up on Halloween treats. You might want to purchase non-food treats for those who visit your home.
Use common sense. Sometimes children coming to your door have disabilities. Don’t insist they verbalize “trick-or-treat” to get the candy. Just pass it out. Also, when bigger children come knocking, don’t discourage them either. They like candy too, and they could be doing much worse things than gathering candy at 13 or 14-years-of-age.
Most of all, put on your Halloween face, turn on your light and enjoy the squeals of delight as the trick-or-treaters come to your door. If you don’t want to participate in the event, simply leave your porch light off, draw the drapes, and children will pass on to where the light is on.
