Trick-or-treat during a pandemic: 'We don't have the power to stop Halloween'

It didn’t take long for the first trickle of school-related coronavirus cases this fall to turn into a steady drip that has seen multiple school buildings close.

State health officials said earlier this week that the fall surge they had anticipated had arrived.

Many communities, however, are going ahead with traditional trick-or-treating on Halloween, a night when thousands of kids and their families traditionally mingle in neighborhoods.

Greensburg area’s plans

The 15601 ZIP code, which includes Greensburg, South Greensburg, most of Hempfield and a portion of Salem, has seen more than 900 confirmed positive cases of covid-19 over the course of the pandemic.

“We don’t do much regulation on trick-or-treating,” said Tom Logan, a Hempfield commissioner. “The (CDC) has set out their guidelines. There are places that have different trick-or-treat times or dates. Hempfield Township is fairly rural. We don’t have too much to do with it.”

‘Trunk or treating’ in Kiski and Gilpin

Some towns have shifted from traditional trick-or-treating. Kiski Township will host a trunk-or-treat event, as will Gilpin, after switching to the format last year. Tarentum will host a drive-thru treat distribution in the afternoon instead of a Halloween parade. Vandergrift firefighters and police will hand out candy from their stations on Halloween night.

Many local governments reason that, as in any other year, those who want to participate can do so with some added health and safety precautions, and those who don’t can simply leave their front-porch lights off.

Alle-Kiski Valley plans

Tarentum canceled its annual “Boo Fest” this year because of the pandemic and replaced it with a drive-thru treat distribution that was held Oct. 17. Almost 300 bags were given out, said Councilwoman Carrie Fox, also president of the borough’s recreation board.

But council did not consider canceling trick-or-treat, which Tarentum will hold from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31, along with neighbors Brackenridge and Harrison.

“If you want to participate, you can participate. If you don’t want to, you don’t have to,” Fox said. “It’s such mixed feelings right now. Some parents want their children to participate, and some parents don’t want their children to participate.”

About 100 people attended the Spookapalooza event Sunday at Washington Township’s Kunkle Park. The two-part event featured a Halloween costume parade Saturday and games and activities Sunday.

Hosted by Cub Scout Pack 500 of Washington Township, the event was meant to give people something fun to do amid all the covid-19 hysteria. Among the offerings were croquet, golf, face painting, crafts and a corn pit — which is basically a sandbox made out of corn kernels instead of sand.

Dan Grossheim, event organizer, said participation in the event really was up to individual families and their personal beliefs.

“We have families ourselves that have decided not to participate in things because of (the coronavirus). We’re not going to stop them and we’re not going to force them to do anything, and we are completely understanding,” Grossheim said.

“But there’s still another three-quarters of the world that isn’t scared to death,” Grossheim added.

Grossheim said the Cub Scout pack hosted a movie in the park last month, and the large turnout for that event is what inspired Spookapalooza. About 200 people showed up, Grossheim said.

“At that point, it kind of dawned on us all that people don’t care what it is: They just need to get out right now. People are just dying to do something,” Grossheim said.

North Hills plans

The 15237 ZIP code which includes parts of Ross, McCandless and Franklin Park in the North Hills, has seen more than 480 confirmed positive cases over the course of the pandemic so far.  

But Steve Korbel, president of Ross’s board of commissioners, said opting to hold trick-or-treating wasn’t a difficult decision, based on what he and fellow commissioners have seen recently.

“The covid counts in our school district are extremely low,” he said. “I think folks in our community are wearing masks, socially distancing and following all of the guidance that’s been provided, which is good.”

North Hills School District has seen six total coronavirus cases — four students and two staff members.

“There’s really no pressure to participate,” Korbel said of trick-or-treating in Ross. “We’re telling folks, if you have children and want to do it, that’s great — here are some guidelines. If you’re a homeowner, things are very similar to what they’ve always been: if you don’t want to participate, you can leave your porch light off.”

Penn Hills’ plans

In Penn Hills, which has seen around 400 positive cases, Mayor Pauline Calabrese said at a late-September council meeting that the municipal government does not have a “vote” on trick-or-treating.

“We don’t have the power to stop Halloween,” she said.

For those in Penn Hills wanting to avoid door-to-door activity, the municipality’s Parks and Recreation Department hosted a free Halloween “Drive-Boo” Parade and movie night Saturday at Penn Hills Park.

Bill Jeffcoat, chief at Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Department No. 227, said, in addition to the park event, his station will continue its annual Halloween tradition of driving through neighborhoods handing out Turner’s drinks to trick-or-treaters.

Jeffcoat said it’s up to individual firefighters to decide if they want to wear a face mask during distribution.

“We do have ways of handing out the drinks to make it ‘no-contact,’ ” Jeffcoat said.

Plum’s approach similar

Next door in Plum, officials took a similar hands-off approach.

“Halloween is not a ‘(borough) event,’ ” according to a statement posted to Plum’s alert-page website. “In recognition of the holiday tradition of trick-or-treat on Halloween, the (borough) has always scheduled additional emergency personnel for that evening and promoted safety through community alerts, but it is not an event planned or managed by the (borough).”

Dr. Joseph Aracri from Allegheny Health Network’s Pediatric Institute said that while it’s impossible to eliminate all risks associated with the pandemic, there are some simple precautions families can take to minimize their risks.

Safety tips

AHN’s trick-or-treating safety tips include:

• Don’t substitute your Halloween mask for a regular cloth or alternative health-and-safety mask. AHN officials advised incorporating cloth masks into costumes, a tactic that has been adopted by actors at some of the region’s Halloween fright attractions.

• Distribute candy individually to children. Aracri said leaving a bowl of candy poses an increased risk as more children reach into it throughout the evening. “For those handing out candy, it’s important to wear a mask for the duration and give each piece out individually, washing hands between trick-or-treaters,” he said.

• Maintain social distance, use hand sanitizer rather than a costume incorporating gloves, and monitor trick-or-treaters’ symptoms.

“We understand that seasonal happenings like Halloween present a unique opportunity to instill more normalcy during a challenging time for so many,” Aracri said. “That’s why we want to equip our patients with as much information as possible so they can enjoy themselves but do so safely and responsibly.

Penn Township Commissioner Larry Harrison said he is confident residents can do just that.

“While many activities are limited by the pandemic, this open-air, family-oriented activity can be appreciated by all that want to join in,” Harrison said. “And, with reasonable accommodation for one another, can be done safely.”

Click on the highlighted text for listings of Halloween and trick-or-treat events in the Alle-Kiski Valley and Westmoreland County.

Staff writers Madasyn Lee and Brian C. Rittmeyer contributed. Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick at 724-850-2862, pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar.