Anyone who opts to trick or treat or hand out treats is asked to please comply with CDC and IDPH guidance to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Illinois Department of Public Health classify trick-or-treating as a high risk activity in terms of the potential to spread COVID-19.
If you decide to pass out treats or take your children trick-or-treating door to door, please take the following steps to minimize your risk of contracting COVID-19 or spreading it to others.
- Wear a COVID-19 compliant mask, not a Halloween mask, at all times while trick-or-treating or passing out treats.
- Maintain a distance of at least 6 ft from others while trick-or-treating.
- Do not open any treats while you are out walking. Wait until everyone gets home.
- Use alcohol based hand sanitizer frequently while trick or treating.
- Wash hands thoroughly before touching anything.
- Consider letting treats sit overnight before indulging. If the virus is present, it will have time to degrade.
If you plan to pass out treats, keep your front porch lights on from 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Halloween, Sunday, October 31. If you do not plan to pass out treats, do not put your front porch lights on. Consider setting out a table with treats displayed at a safe distance. The village has created a PDF that residents can download and print for display in their front window, based on their preference. These documents will also be available at the Village Office and Parks & Recreation Offices.
Not sure what to do with your festive pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns? Please consider composting your Halloween pumpkins. Flood Brothers will have a dumpster in the parking lot of Riverside Foods from November 1st to November 5th. Thank you Flood Brothers and Riverside Foods!
Why compost pumpkins?
• They are full of nutrients that are good for the soil.
• They are 90% water.
• Most of the pumpkins processed in the United States are grown in Illinois – keep the water and nutrients here!
• Landfills are the 3rd largest producers of methane gas.
All creative additions to the pumpkins must be removed before composting. Only the pumpkins themselves can be composted!
This means:
• No candles
• No yarn hair
• No stickers
• No googly eyes
• No plastic ears
Don’t Let Your Waste Haunt You. Compost Your Pumpkin! Please note: This is a contaminant-free food scrap composting.
Find Illinois Department of Public Health Guidance here.
Find Centers for Disease Control Guidance here.
Trick or Treat Welcome Sign
No Trick or Treat Please Sign
Have a safe and spooky Halloween!