In two short weeks, the streets of Menifee will be flooded with ghosts, ghouls, super heroes, and cartoon characters. While children’s heads will be filled with visions of candies and treats, parents’ heads will most likely be filled with thoughts of safety and security.
Whether it’s choosing the right costume, with bright colors and no mask, or checking candy at the end of the night for signs of tampering, these are some of the Halloween traditions that go along with parenthood.
One of my favorite ways to bolster Halloween safety is to participate in a "Safe Halloween" event in your community. When my kids were little, the local businesses of the town we lived in had a "Safe Trick-or-Treat" event on Main Street. Kids would go from merchant to merchant and collect sweet treats starting right after school, about 3 p.m. and going until sunset. The kids have fun, and parents get to set foot in shops they may not have seen, or had time to visit before.
Another safe tradition is the "Trunk-Or-Treat". I’ve always attended these at churches, but it’s a very ingenious idea. Members of a local group or organization, like a church, get together and decorate the trunks of their cars in true Halloween fashion and the children dress up in their costumes and trick-or-treat from car to car.
The parents win because they know exactly who is giving out candy to their kids, and the kids win because, hey, there's candy. Everybody wins because everyone has a lot of fun.
Another fun, yet safe, activity is the fall festival, usually sponsored by some local community organization. Most of the local elementary schools have one. The local Cub Scout Pack 374 is having one for the boys in a few weeks. If you’d like an invitation, visit www.pack374.org and click on the "Contact Our Pack" link. We will have a series of carnival style games with prizes and fun.
Of course, if you don’t have a Cub Scout age boy, don’t forget the Halloween Costume Contest and Parade at Wheatfield Park Oct. 30, sponsored by Menifee 24/7. Starting at 6 p.m. by the flag pole on the Menifee Road side of the parki, there will be a parade for those dressed up, a costume contest, followed by fun and games for all.
What other fun events are you participating in during the coming weeks? Log in and leave your comments and input below.
David Baker, our Man About Menifee, writes about his adventures in and around town every Friday in this space. You may leave comments for him here or email him at manaboutmenifee@gmail.com.
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