Because of COVID-19, it will be a different kind of Halloween this year.
Some of the traditional Halloween parties for kids that have been held for years have been canceled because of the risk of COVID-19.
Other groups have found ways to celebrate Halloween in a safe way, in drive-through events or virtual contests. And Halloween guidelines have been issued by the local Unified Government Health Department, as well as the state health department and the CDC.
While parents are weighing the risks in taking kids anywhere during COVID-19, a few organizations have announced events to replace the traditional parties.
Honkin’ Halloween event
The Rosedale Development Association has changed its usual Halloween event for kids, according to Alissa Workman, RDA development director.
They have been holding a Halloween event for about a decade, but this year it has been changed to a way that will be safe for community members, she said.
It will look a little different, and kids will still have a lot of fun, she said.
RDA’s Honkin’ Halloween event at 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, will start with a line up for a Halloween car caravan at the Boulevard Drive-in Theatre at 1051 Merriam Lane. The caravan will leave the drive-in at 3:30 p.m., drive up the boulevard to 8th Street, where volunteers will load car trunks with family activity kits, pumpkins and healthy snacks.
In keeping with the previous 10 years, when the event was known as Healthy Halloween, the RDA event will not give away candy. Everyone will be encouraged to dress in a costume and decorate their cars.
Blood pressure screenings will be available to the public at the event. Those who don’t want to participate in the parade may go to 1401 Southwest Blvd. to receive the activity kits and healthy snacks.
People will be expected to stay in their cars. However, participants, especially if they get out of their car for blood pressure screening or anything else, are asked to wear masks, she said.
They’re not sure how many people will participate this year, Workman said. In previous years, they had as many as 300 or 400, but things are different this year, and they’ll be happy if they have 50.
This year’s Halloween event was a challenge, as they wanted to keep everything safe for community members, especially as COVID-19 numbers are going up again. This past summer, RDA delivered activity boxes, food and meals in a summer drive-through style, and they are using the same idea for this event, she added.
Others that went ahead with their Halloween events, in a changed way, included the Turner Recreation Commission, which held a Trunk or Treat last weekend.
Many usual Halloween parties canceled this year
Many of the neighborhood groups that sponsor Halloween events for kids inside Wyandotte County’s recreation centers aren’t holding an event this year.
Besides the recreation centers, also canceling its event this year is the Alcott Arts Center, according to Chuck Green.
Alcott has held a Halloween event for the past 17 years, and a message the center sent out said that it couldn’t do the event this year without putting its volunteers and patrons at risk.
Green said if they had done an event, they might have been one of the few in Kansas City, Kansas, holding a public event, and might have been overrun, without enough volunteers and enough candy to give away.
They also had some concerns about a drive-through and whether people would drive safely, he said, as that might incur some risk.
The Alcott has held a couple of outside events so far this year, he said. It is about the usual time the center closes for the winter, and they will be planning for the future. Next year, they will try to put together some outside and inside programs, and possibly start a new podcast out of the arts center for local artists, he said.
Other events planned
While the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library has been closed to in-person use, it has several Halloween activities online and curbside at the various branches.
Among those activities are activity bags and free books at some of the library branches, as well as craft kits and other Halloween-themed events that are not in person. The libraries also held an online costume contest earlier this week.
For a list of the library activities, visit https://kckpl.librarymarket.com/ and https://kckplprograms.org/.
Other Halloween or weekend events we have heard of include:
Friday, Oct. 30
- Drive-through Trunk or Treat sponsored by the Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department, Community Police Unit, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at 6601 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas. Candy and treats will be given out in a drive-through event. Kansas Maderos Property is providing one free scoop of ice cream to the first 100 children under the age of 16. Face masks and social distancing are required for kids and adults.
- The Armourdale Renewal Association will sponsor a drive-through Trunk or Treat from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at the Armourdale Community Center, 730 Osage, Kansas City, Kansas. Those participating will stay in their vehicles. Face masks and social distancing are required.
- The Legends Outlets, I-435 and I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas. It is not a Halloween celebration, but an early Day of the Dead celebration. A movie will be shown on the Legends Lawn from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30. There will be a special movie showing of “Coco,” a Disney movie, plus complimentary tacos for the first 60 guests starting at 5:30 p.m. from El Toro Loco and the KCK Convention and Visitors Bureau. There will be sugar skull photo props for kids. Those attending may bring their own blankets or lawn chairs. Social distancing will be required. (https://legendsshopping.com/events/family/movie-on-the-lawn/)
- Nebraska Furniture Mart, 1601 Village West Parkway, Kansas City, Kansas, plans a free drive-in showing of “Minions” in the NFM parking lot from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. There are free bags of treats for kids. Also from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, kids can get a free bag of treats at the store. Face masks and social distancing will be required.
Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31
- The “Take a Book” children’s event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 31, at The Merc grocery store parking lot, 501 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The free outdoor event is sponsored by Altrusa International of Greater Kansas City, partnering with The Merc. The free outdoor event for families with children will include reading books aloud, then each child will select one new book to take home and add to the home library. The event is geared toward pre-kindergarten through sixth grade children. The program is made possible through a $4,000 grant from Altrusa International Foundation to improve the economic well-being and quality of life in communities that host an Altrusa Club. In addition, The Merc will provide a treat in the store for any child wearing a Halloween costume. (https://www.facebook.com/altrusa.kc)
- The Bonner Springs Library annual Boo Bash will take place from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, outside the library at 201 N. Nettleton, Bonner Springs. Spooky stories on the back lawn, music, crafts and a treat are part of the events. Masks are required, and costumes are encouraged. Social distancing is required.
You can give and receive at the Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton, Bonner Springs, on Halloween, Oct. 31. Visit the library in your costume on Halloween and get a treat at the desk. Bring in canned goods or boxed food items and get two treats at the desk. Also, anyone who has overdue fines can bring in a can to donate to the food drive and receive $1 off the fine per can (but not for lost items). Even if you don’t have a fine, you can still donate to the food drive. Also, the final Farmers’ Market from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Oct. 31 in Bonner Springs is accepting canned goods for the food drive. The food will be donated to Vaughn-Trent in Bonner Springs. (https://bonnerlibrary.org/)
- All QuikTrip stores will be giving away a free vanilla cone to trick-or-treaters age 12 and younger between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Oct. 31. Children must be dressed in costume and trick-or-treat inside any Quik Trip to receive the free snack.
Advice for safely celebrating Halloween
The Wyandotte County Health Department has issued guidelines to safely celebrate Halloween.
Recommended activities
Some of the activities with lower COVID risk that the UGPHD recommends include:
• Online parties or contests (such as online costume contests, pumpkin carving, etc.)
• Drive-through events where individuals remain in vehicles. This could include events where individuals receive a treat bag (containing commercially packed, non-perishable treats) or activities like drive-in Halloween movies
• Decorating yards and homes with Halloween-themed decorations, and driving or walking to enjoy other Halloween decorations in local neighborhoods
Safer Trick or Treating, and ‘Trunk or Treating’ activities
Many typical Halloween activities pose more COVID-19 risk than the recommended activities above, including “Trunk or Treat” events and trick or treating. As many community members may choose to engage in their usual Halloween traditions, the Health Department urges people to take precautions to enjoy those activities in a safer way.
• Wear a cloth face covering over the nose and mouth when trick or treating or when answering the door for trick or treaters.
• Carry hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol and use it at regular intervals.
• Consider disinfecting candy wrappers or other items accepted from homes.
• Leave at least 6-feet between yourself and people not in your household. Do not crowd sidewalks, driveways, or porches. At “Trunk or Treat” events, cars should be spaced at least 6 feet apart.
• Practice routine hand hygiene with soap and water or hand sanitizer.
• Clean frequently-touched items and surfaces regularly, such as door knobs.
• Consider spacing items 6-feet apart on your porch, in your yard or on a table in your driveway with a sign advising trick or treaters to “Take 1.”
• Opt out of these activities if you are over 60 years old or have a compromised immune system.
• If you currently are sick, have recently tested positive for COVID-19, are awaiting COVID-19 results, or are quarantining, you should opt out of all trick or treating activities.
For the full “Wyandotte County Guidance for Celebrating Halloween and Fall Gatherings 2020,” go to http://bit.ly/WyCoHalloween2020 or go to wycokck.org/COVID-19, and click on the COVID Hub, which includes a section on Halloween guidance.