Trick-Or-Treat Safely In Oswego Amid Pandemic

Abhinanda Datta
·3 min read

OSWEGO, 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 Oswego. This year, extended trick-or-treating in the village will be from 2:30-8 p.m. on Oct. 31. Safety guidelines issued by the village are:

  • If you or someone in your house is ill, do not go trick-or-treating or give out candy to trick-or-treaters.

  • Wear a face mask. Face masks that are a part of Halloween costumes will not protect you or others from coronavirus particles as effectively as a regular cloth or surgical facemask.

  • Stay at least six feet apart from other trick-or-treaters not in your household.

  • Do not visit homes that are not participating in trick-or-treating. Residents should turn their porch light on if they are participating, and off if they are not.

  • Parents should accompany children to ensure that trick-or-treaters are following appropriate health and safety guidelines.

  • Consider facilitating one-way trick-or-treating. Place individually wrapped treats out on a table near the sidewalk or at the end of your driveway for children to grab and go.

For those wanting to stay away from traditional trick-or-treating in Oswego, the Oswegoland Park District announced that it will host a drive-thru trick-or-treating event on Halloween at Prairie Point Community Park.

The Monster Mash Bash Drive-Thru Trick or Treat will last from noon to 12:30 p.m., Oct. 31. As per the park district website, goodie bags, treats and candy will be handed out to trick-or-treaters in their cars by masked volunteers, as the drive-thru winds through the parking lot.

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.

Before kids go out trick or treating on Halloween, it is also a good idea to take an inventory of who is living in your neighborhood. Oswego currently has 22 registered sex offenders listed on the Illinois Sex Offender Registry.

Check out the map with their addresses here.


This article originally appeared on the Oswego Patch