Trunk or treats provide Halloween safety and publicity
By Charles Christian
Local businesses are hosting trunk or treat events as a safe alternative for kids in the community while also raising the profile of their companies.
In the last 30 years, trunk-or-treat events have become almost as popular as traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating. The trunk-or-treat phenomenon started with churches looking for a safe Halloween alternative without some of the darker themes associated with the holiday. People decorate their car trunks with Halloween items and pass out candy at the events. Kids then go from trunk to trunk in costumes and fill their bags with treats. It is also common for trunk or treat events to have games and other activities for all ages.
B&J Skate Center on North Belt Highway in St. Joseph, which just had its grand reopening under new ownership, is hosting an indoor trunk-or-treat skating event from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, for kids ages 12 and under.
B&J employee Addison Nance said the event will combine fun and safety with a networking opportunity for businesses in the community.
“We thought we could reach out to some businesses and see if they would like to partner with us,” Nance said. “We especially wanted to do something special for younger kids.”
Admission to the B&J Skate Center event is $10 per person, with or without skates. Games and treats will be part of the event.
A new business, Bennington Auto Repair, is hosting its first trunk or treat event at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 5511 Lake Ave. Cortney Meers of Bennington said being a family business made a trunk or treat a logical choice for their operation this year.
“There’s not a whole lot of community-involved activities down in this area,” Meers said. “Our kids have participated in trunk or treat events in local churches, so we thought we would try it here.”
Meers said for the event, cars with decorated trunks will be in Bennington’s parking lot filled with candy. The event also will provide a few games for kids of all ages and adults.
Several other local churches, businesses and schools also have trunk or treat activities on the calendar in the next week. Check social media for dates and times.
