How To Trick-Or-Treat Safely In Wheaton

Wheaton IL

27 October, 2020

2:46 PM

Description

WHEATON, IL — Halloween will have a much different feel in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Trick-or-treating in large groups and hosting parties are against recommendations, but some people have found creative ways to keep the spirit of the annual Oct. 31 holiday. Trick-or-treating is on in Wheaton. Trick-or-treat hours will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31, but that is pending further guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the DuPage County Health Department and is subject to change. It is each residents' decision whether they want to participate in trick-or-treating. Those residents who don't want trick-or-treaters at their home can post a sign or keep their porch light off. The "no trick-or-treating" signs will be available at City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St., between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. Traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating, where treats are handed directly to children, is considered a high-risk activity this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Unlike St. Patrick's Day, when the pandemic was just a few days old, Halloween enthusiasts have had time to prepare for different kinds of celebrations this year. Building a candy chute has been touted as a fast and fairly simple way to ensure trick-or-treaters can get the sweets without contact. An Arlington, Virginia, woman told the Washington, D.C., ABC affiliate she bought a PVC pipe, had the kids paint it orange and black, decorated it and attached it to the porch. Transforming a front yard into a candy graveyard and holding a Halloween egg hunt are among 14 other ideas for low-contact trick-or-treating shared by Fun365, a website that offers party, wedding and classroom ideas. Lower-risk activities recommended by the CDC include carving pumpkins, decorating the house, having a Halloween-themed scavenger hunt and a virtual costume contest. "If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters," the CDC states.