One of the biggest holidays of fall for kids is Halloween. But, a big question looms at this point: Will there be trick-or-treating? Can it happen in the midst of a pandemic?
A poll by Party City, the retailer that sells party and holiday items, 96% of parents plan to celebrate Halloween this year.
“People are looking for a sense of normalcy. They’re looking for a little bit of joy, and they know that Halloween can bring that to them,” says Carly Schildhaus, a spokesperson for the National Confectioner’s Association.
Meanwhile, local leaders are waiting on guidance from New York State.
“I’m hoping that we are allowed to go out, I mean, this year we’ll take her to our family so she can go trick or treating, but I’m hoping we’ll be able to go trick or treating like normal,” said Tori Vaughan, a Syracuse-area resident, who spoke with CNYCentral.
Dr. Jana Shaw is the Pediatric Infectious Disease Specialist at Upstate University Hospital says changes are going to be necessary.
“People get together on the main street, and everybody mingles, and it’s a village party essentially, so those things will not be able to happen,” explained Dr. Shaw. “Certainly, we can get creative and maybe think of a street that will close down and we sort of channel the number of people who will be going through,” but it likely won’t look like it has in years past.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to [email protected].