Though the lightheartedness of Halloween festivities, such as costumes and candy, garner the bulk of celebrants’ attention, it’s important to take safety into consideration as well. According to the Mayo Clinic, children are twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween as other nights of the year. Cuts and burns also are more common on Oct. 31.
LOCAL HALLOWEEN EVENTS
Public Safety Open House
Turlock’s Police and Fire Departments will host an open house event from 4 p.m. to 7 pm. Thursday at 244 N. Broadway. The event will feature tours, a bike rodeo, trick-or-treating and more. Kids are encouraged to bring their bikes and wear costumes.
Downtown Turlock Trick-or-Treat
The Downtown Business Owners Committee, HeyTurlock and Alegria Performing Arts Academy will join forces for the return of the Downtown Turlock Trick-Or-Treat event from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Crossroads Harvest Festival
Crossroads Church in Turlock will host a Fall Festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 1360 N. Johnson Rd. There will be games, trunk-or-treat, a bounce house, hay ride, photo booth and hot dogs.
FUMC Turlock Trunk-or-Treat
The First United Methodist Church of Turlock will host a trunk-or-treat event from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at 1660 Arbor Way.
Go Drive-Up Trunk-or-Treat
Go Drive-Up Turlock is hosting a drive-through trunk-or-treat at 5 p.m. Sunday before the viewing of the movie “Hocus Pocus.” Go Drive-Up Turlock is located at 1450 N. Soderquist Rd. Admission is $20 per car for the event and movie. For tickets, visit https://www.grandoakdriveup.com/
Salvation Army Trunk-or-Treat
The Turlock Salvation Army will host its 3rd annual trunk-or-treat event from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 at 893 Lander Ave. There will be games, candy and more.
K-9’s on the Move Trunk-or-Treat
K-9’s on the Move, in conjunction with the business’ nonprofit Pixie’s Dancing Paws and Pals, will host a trunk-or-treat event from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at 1001 S. Berkeley Ave. Aside from the candy, the business will offer other snacks and refreshments while showing some family-friendly movies.
A good Halloween scare should come from costumes, not accidents or injuries. This Halloween, consider these safety measures, courtesy of Safe Kids Worldwide, the Mayo Clinic, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
— Make sure you’re visible when trick-or-treating. Reflective tape, glow sticks, flashlights, or camping lanterns can make pedestrians more visible to motorists.
— Pedestrians should walk on sidewalks if they are available. When sidewalks are not available, walk facing traffic and do so as far off to the side of the road as you can get.
— Drivers should be especially alert to pedestrians on Halloween. Drive slowly, as many kids scurry from house to house in search of Halloween candy.
— Pedestrians and drivers should follow the rules of the road, stopping at intersections and crossing in crosswalks.
— Consider alternatives to carving pumpkins, since the risk of being cut while carving is high. If you want to carve, leave the carving to adults. Utilize battery-operated flameless candles or glow sticks to illuminate jack-o-lanterns.
— All costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant. Make sure that costumes do not impede your ability to walk or see.
— Test makeup to check for skin irritation before application. Remove it promptly after returning home.
— Set up a buddy system so that no one is going it alone. Agree on a specific time children should return home. Adults should chaperone young children.
— While incidences of candy tampering may be minimal, no one should snack on candy until it has been inspected. Inspections also protect against food allergies.
— The candy bounty should be rationed so no one overindulges and feels ill later on.
Halloween season is a fun time of year, but safety should go hand in hand with all the celebrating on this special day.
