As the sun sets on All Hallows Eve, the communities of Newton, Hickory and Decatur will be filling candy bowls in preparation for trick-or-treat.
In Newton, children are invited to head to the Newton Depot for the annual Trick-or-Treat at the Depot event from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Emily Pugh, director of Newton Chamber, which sponsors the event, said several stations will be set up outside the Depot for children to stop and get some candy.
“Typically, we’ve had about three stations,” she said. “It all kind of depends on how much candy we have to give out to the community.”
Each station, Pugh said, will be manned by volunteers. Children will have an opportunity to trick-or-treat at each one, getting candy from multiple places.
With CMRC Fall Festival not being held this year, Pugh said she is expecting more children than usual. In previous years, Trick-or-Treat at the Depot has handed out candy to several hundred trick-or-treaters, but this year could be more, she said.
To meet that need, Pugh said she is asking community members and local businesses to donate candy or consider volunteering to make sure the Depot has enough candy and stations to go around.
“If there is any businesses or community members that would like to donate candy, we encourage them to do so because we feel like this year will be one of our large years for trick-or-treat down here at the depot.” she said.
Additionally, Pugh said, the Dollar General in Newton and the McElroy-Hoye House will be open for trick-or-treaters on Halloween. She said children are encouraged to stop off at the Depot to start their Halloween adventure before heading to trick-or-treat there as well.
Treat Street
While trick-or-treaters can get a jump start on their candy collection at the Newton Depot, parents and families might also want to head to Decatur for the annual Treat Street.
Each year, the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce coordinates with the Town of Decatur to shut down Broad Street for several hours, allowing businesses, churches and civic groups to set up booths where children can trick-or-treat.
This year’s Treat Street will be held 5-7 p.m. Wednesday and feature more than a dozen booths with stickers, candy and other goodies for children to collect.
Trick-or-treaters will also have the opportunity to gather candy in Hickory on Halloween, Pugh said. All events are free and open to the public to come and participate in the fun.
Halloween events are also scheduled for Oct. 31 in Union and at Newton County High School.
