# Idiotic Trunk Or Treat killing Treat Or Treat.



## Eerie Erie Haunts (Oct 8, 2013)

In general, I agree. However, in some cases, I think it's a great idea. For instance, where I live, the police, fire department, highway department, etc. have a trunk-or-treat. The kids get candy, but they also get safety stuff, stickers with phone #s, etc., and they get to meet the emergency responders and sit in the vehicles. It's a good community-building event. That said, it's done *in addition to* regular trick-or-treat times. As a replacement for neighborhood trick-or-treat, trunk-or-treat is a terrible idea.


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## Artcurus Art (Jul 24, 2016)

EEH,

I will give you that one. However, the "safety" thing is very overblown.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Maybe it began as a "Ruse" to check trunks for kidnap victims?
Or maybe as a device to make the Policeman's job easier that one night? 
At one time in Illiniois, if they found one Eagle feather in your trunk, they could confiscate your CAR!
Three Feathers they take your House 5 feathers they dis-bar your lawyer!


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## LairMistress (Jul 31, 2009)

Our town hosts a Trunk or Treat on a different evening, not Halloween or Mischief Night (30th). And, our town allows Trick or Treating on Mischief Night as well as Halloween, so our kids get to go all three nights. However, since we are in the midwest, the weather usually isn't kind, and it rains out one or two of those options!

Then there are churches that have their own Trunk or Treats, but I think that only one is actually on Halloween. It's technically not even in our town, so I write it off. Anyone going to that one isn't going to go almost literally all the way across town to our neighborhood. It's in a "village" that is the "South" version of our town, but the two are connected, only divided by opposite sides of a street. Weird.

If I did not live in town, I would love to participate in a Trunk or Treat event. Otherwise, I wouldn't get to hand out candy or decorate for anyone but ourselves. I also think that they're good for kids from bad neighborhoods, who wouldn't get to go Trick or Treating. I'm sure that a lot of the rural kids do Trunk or Treat instead of Trick or Treat, too.


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## MacabreWeb (Jul 28, 2016)

I have mixed feelings about it. 

On one hand, it is a safe way for kids to trick or treat. The world is a screwed up place and sometimes some parents don't parent very well. (IE letting too young of kids go out alone, in non-reflective clothing in oversized costumes, really angers me) As someone who has had to put a restraining order on someone before, we don't know every ones situation and trunk-or-treating can be a helpful way to let kids have fun in a controlled environment.

On the other hand, I take such joy in dressing up and passing out candy it breaks my heart when we have a low percentage Halloween night. I can't say I blame people for not coming down our street. I was one of two houses that participated on a half lit street and some of my jerk neighbors didn't get the memo to turn off their porch lights if they aren't passing out candy. Poor little kids having to trek up hills to their houses only to find out they aren't giving out candy they just couldn't be bothered to leave their lights off. 

It's definitely not the same as it use to be, but neither is the world. And I don't do that "well back in my day!" cane shaking logic cause times are different and it's not the kids unwillingness, it's the parents, and some concerns are valid.

Some towns do trunk or treating the night before or the week before, that I'm okay with. Heck I have a friend in Iowa whose town -officially- does trick or treating October 30th and he isn't really sure why.


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## Artcurus Art (Jul 24, 2016)

MacabreWeb said:


> I have mixed feelings about it.
> 
> On one hand, it is a safe way for kids to trick or treat. The world is a screwed up place and sometimes some parents don't parent very well. (IE letting too young of kids go out alone, in non-reflective clothing in oversized costumes, really angers me) As someone who has had to put a restraining order on someone before, we don't know every ones situation and trunk-or-treating can be a helpful way to let kids have fun in a controlled environment.
> 
> ...


Im not going into crime statistics, etc. Let's just say that it's safer now that it was in the 60's and 70's. It's your PERCEPTION that's off. 

That being said, many churches have Trunk Or Treat to keep kids away from "The Devil". Also my hometown always t or t the weekend before Halloween, for one hour, in broad daylight, from 5-6.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

Trunk Or Treat and Unorthodox


Year 1-3: Church costume party weekend before Halloween, no trunk or treat. We attend. 
Year 4-6: No church activity. 
Year 7: We start the pumpkin carving party at our house the day before Halloween. No church activity.
Year 8: Church members see our party as a semi replacement for the church party, and comment how amazed they are so many non-members come to the party. (really? I'm inviting everyone, not just the church, people) 
Year 9: I've firmly establish our party as the night before Halloween. The Church restarts their activity, now with a trunk or treat at the end, same night as my party. Church members go to the church party and come to ours after. 
Year 10: Church members skip the church party in favor of ours. 
Year 11-14(last year): Church avoids our party with their trunk or treat, asking when mine is before they set a date, we attend.


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## Artcurus Art (Jul 24, 2016)

UnOrthodOx said:


> Trunk Or Treat and Unorthodox
> 
> 
> Year 1-3: Church costume party weekend before Halloween, no trunk or treat. We attend.
> ...


Oh HELL YEAH! NICE!


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

Trunk- or-treat is something that many Halloween enthusiasts seem to dislike, but it is also something that is still an inevitability.
(there are threads just like this one going back for over a decade - I read them as I dislike trunk-or-treat as well)

My personal take on it is; let them have their "thing"...but I'm going to make sure I put on a haunt that makes them want to come trick-or-treating at my place regardless.

That's the fun I get out of Halloween - people getting that "wow", or a startle or a laugh that sticks with them. They come back to my place year after year, wondering what they'll find this time. 

This is my best defense against the scourge of trunk-or-treat...and so far, it's working.


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## MacabreWeb (Jul 28, 2016)

Artcurus Art said:


> Im not going into crime statistics, etc. Let's just say that it's safer now that it was in the 60's and 70's. It's your PERCEPTION that's off.
> 
> That being said, many churches have Trunk Or Treat to keep kids away from "The Devil". Also my hometown always t or t the weekend before Halloween, for one hour, in broad daylight, from 5-6.


That's really dependent upon where you live as well. I've lived in some rough neighborhoods and can't say I blame people for not wanting their kids wandering around in them. No where did I say the world is worse than it was back then, my perception is just fine. 2016 alone has been a high tension year and my concern lies more on lazy parenting and people not paying attention than Halloween myths.

If churches want to do trunk or treating, that's there prerogative and the people that attend those events sometimes do both. I'm not going to judge their reasons, they're allowed them. As for keeping kids away from "the devil" I've not personally seen or heard an event where that was their mission statement. It was more to provide a safe environment for kids, also usually those events have a lot of little tikes at them. Some trunk or treating events are held by towns/fire/police departments. We've also had Halloweens that were bitterly cold/rainy or snowed, a small event like this could allow festivities to continue so people don't miss out due to weather.


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## Pumpkinprincess (Aug 8, 2007)

Quite honestly I decorate for myself, not to get large numbers of TOTs. Actually I've declined the media in recent years because we were drawing too much of a crowd.


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## dane82 (Sep 24, 2012)

one of the reasons i feel blessed to live in the country i live in is that people can put on a trunk-or-treat, or hand out candy at their homes, or pretty much whatever they want to do, and they can care as much about what you think of them as you care what they think of you.


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## DavyKnoles (Dec 5, 2009)

Okay, I feel stupid asking this, but, what exactly is "trunk or treating?" I've never heard of it before.


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## ChrisW (Sep 19, 2006)

At a friend's request I participated in a "Trunk or Treat" at his church and had a good time decorating my van with props, figures, lights and sound. Contrary to being driven away as an evil purveyor of demonic design, I won first prize in the decorating contest.
That being said, I don't like seeing "Harvest celebrations" on Halloween night touted as a "safe alternative" to Halloween or trick or treating. The idea that trick or treating honors satan or all things evil or demonic is ludicrous. There has been trick or treating for centuries, Christians got in to the act in the 15 century, going door to door beging for "soul cakes".
By the way, Trick or Treating itself was promoted as a "safe alternative" to the destruction that kids did on Miscief Night - at least in Des Moines, Iowa:
_Although some popular histories of Halloween have characterized trick-or-treating as an adult invention to rechannel Halloween activities away from Mischief Night vandalism, there are very few records supporting this. Des Moines, Iowa is the only area known to have a record of trick-or-treating being used to deter crime_

DavyKnoles - Here's a definition...
Trunk-or-treat events bring Halloween to parking lots where kids go from car to car and get candy. They're popular at schools, churches, in rural areas where homes are far apart, and in places where trick-or-treating isn't safe.


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## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

DavyKnoles said:


> Okay, I feel stupid asking this, but, what exactly is "trunk or treating?" I've never heard of it before.


Kids trick or treat around the parking lot because teaching them to go up to a stranger's cars to get candy is safer than door to door. 

And some people decorate their trunk.


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## MacabreWeb (Jul 28, 2016)

DavyKnoles said:


> Okay, I feel stupid asking this, but, what exactly is "trunk or treating?" I've never heard of it before.


It's basically an organized event where volunteers will decorate cars and pass out candy from their trunks, often organized by churches but Towns/Police and Fire Departments hold their own, as a safe and controlled environment for trick or treaters. Sometimes held on Halloween night itself or the weekends/nights before. 


I feel like there is some unfairness and demonization of Trunk or Treating going on here, hypocritically the same way trick or treating gets treated by pro- trunk or treaters. I'm not a religious person myself (nor do I have any children), but I respect that some people are and would rather have a place with set guidelines to take their young ones too. Especially since some people enjoy decorating their yard with grotesque carnage that isn't suitable for young eyes. Not all of the events are the same and I don't think mocking them is any better than them trying to make Halloween out to be evil. I don't think it's killing trick or treating and not all of them are for religious purposes. 

I just feel like this is getting very judgemental and could be insulting to some people here who take their children to such events.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

I know kids like to go with their friends and not have a parent around as they get older but I sometimes see mothers get together, sometimes dress up too (we had a nice group of witches one year), and walk as a group behind their kids. Moms stay on the street, kids go up to the houses and everyone has nice time. If parents are really concerned about their kids ToTing in the neighborhood they should do something like that and get some exercise too. Great for both kid and parent while they have fun visiting houses.

i'm all for halloween parties for the kids too but if on halloween think it could include visits as a group to homes in the neighborhood. What saddens me is the thought, as people become paranoid or whatever today, is that kids experience less of the joys of being a kid these days than when I was ToTing. You have such a short time to be a kid.


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## DavyKnoles (Dec 5, 2009)

Okay, well it all does sound a little like mall trick or treating, which is both bogus and sad. But I can think of a situation where trunk or treating would be really cool. Do it at a drive-in theater that's already playing horror movies on Halloween night. Can't you just see the kids - an most likely adults too - marching in costume up and down the rows looking for the right treat car? That could actually be awesome, now that I think about it. Course, it would be dependent on finding a drive-in theater that's still in operation. Then you'd have to convince them that a Halloween movie event would be a profitable venture. But it all the conditions jelled, that would really be something. 

On the other hand, going from car to car in a church parking lot on Halloween sounds like a real drag.


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## kbpkitty (Jul 7, 2016)

Overall, live and let live. 

But for myself personally, I get it where the neighborhood really isn't safe (and I mean legitimately not safe, not fear culture helicopter parenting not safe) or houses are too far apart. If I lived in either of those situations, I would shrug and feel sad for a hot minute, and then devote myself to making my car creepy AF. Absent those situations, where it seems to be either overprotective parenting or protecting the young ones from Satan? Pass. I'll roll my eyes and get my yard haunt ready. My hypothetical children get Halloween in the most free environment I can safely allow them.


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## MacabreWeb (Jul 28, 2016)

kbpkitty said:


> Overall, live and let live.
> 
> But for myself personally, I get it where the neighborhood really isn't safe (and I mean legitimately not safe, not fear culture helicopter parenting not safe) or houses are too far apart. If I lived in either of those situations, I would shrug and feel sad for a hot minute, and then devote myself to making my car creepy AF. Absent those situations, where it seems to be either overprotective parenting or protecting the young ones from Satan? Pass. I'll roll my eyes and get my yard haunt ready. My hypothetical children get Halloween in the most free environment I can safely allow them.


This is what I mean exactly. I'm not trying to be self righteous, but there are bad neighborhoods. Paranoid helicopter parents exist, but there are some legit reasons and benefits for the parking lot trick or treating events. When my nieces and nephews were little my sisters did those. They can't walk very far, they're little, but they don't want to miss out. They get to have fun, they aren't out too long in the cold, and they won't get super scared by some displays.


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## Eerie Erie Haunts (Oct 8, 2013)

I live in town, but in a very rural area. Kids from outside of town don't do trunk-or-treats because houses are far apart; rather they go into town, either on their own (I mean with their parents, of course) or with their friends from school. The trunk events are put on as an addition to regular trick-or-treat, not a replacement for it.


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## Artcurus Art (Jul 24, 2016)

Guys, I've already acknowledged that Trunk Or Treating does have a place as some of the other posters here pointed out. The demarcation is when it's used as a replacement for t or ting. Churches won't allow scary costumes in their events, and try to actively discourage real trick or treating. However, the real, bigger issue here is the PCazation, if that makes sense, of Halloween. As one other poster pointed out, calling Halloween carnivals "fall festivals" and stripping them of things such as witches and devils because they are deemed "too scary" or not PC.


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## kbpkitty (Jul 7, 2016)

Artcurus Art said:


> Guys, I've already acknowledged that Trunk Or Treating does have a place as some of the other posters here pointed out. The demarcation is when it's used as a replacement for t or ting. Churches won't allow scary costumes in their events, and try to actively discourage real trick or treating. However, the real, bigger issue here is the PCazation, if that makes sense, of Halloween. As one other poster pointed out, calling Halloween carnivals "fall festivals" and stripping them of things such as witches and devils because they are deemed "too scary" or not PC.


I guess I feel the same way - I think it's crappy, and I'll always explore the weird and the creepy and the scary and sometimes the violent, and that's all gonna be in my displays and what my family and I are involved in. But I'm not going to tell someone else - least of all a church - how to Halloween. I'm going to give it a huge thumbs down, and if it was a fight at the city level you bet I'd be at the city council meetings fighting for traditional T or T, but otherwise... Why let what other people do bother me?


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## wickedwillingwench (Sep 16, 2011)

we will be living in a very rural area in a few years...i would love to start a trunk or treat for the local kids...


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

First of all, not _all _churches are anti-Halloween party any more than _all_ Halloween enthusiasts are Satanists. And Trunk or Treat can be sponsored by business, schools, the aforementioned Fire Fighers and Police, Scouts, 4-H, any number of groups.
When people take their kids to Trunk or Treat events because of personal objections to Trick or Treating, odds are they wouldn't have let their kids go trick or treating anyway. So the former event isn't likely to be taking many participants away from traditional ToTing. I think there's room for both, and I applaud MacabreWeb for the resisting cane-shaking and angry reminiscing about "back in _my_ day". (Well put, MW.) Ditto to all the live-and-let-live people who aren't into it, but don't mind if other people are. Where ToTing is waning, I doubt outlawing Trunk or Treat would bring back its popularity.


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## disembodiedvoice (Sep 24, 2011)

DavyKnoles said:


> Okay, well it all does sound a little like mall trick or treating, which is both bogus and sad. But I can think of a situation where trunk or treating would be really cool. Do it at a drive-in theater that's already playing horror movies on Halloween night. Can't you just see the kids - an most likely adults too - marching in costume up and down the rows looking for the right treat car? That could actually be awesome, now that I think about it. Course, it would be dependent on finding a drive-in theater that's still in operation. Then you'd have to convince them that a Halloween movie event would be a profitable venture. But it all the conditions jelled, that would really be something.
> 
> On the other hand, going from car to car in a church parking lot on Halloween sounds like a real drag.



We actually still have a drive in theater here. It runs only on weekends ( Fri and Sat actually) and it is a double feature $7.00 for adults. this weekend is Suicide Squad and Lights out ( lol not that that was relevant) Only problem is it also only runs during the summer , stops showing movies some time in September. I guess they could open up just for Halloween. I bet they would make money showing horror movies, that would be cool .


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## disembodiedvoice (Sep 24, 2011)

ooojen said:


> First of all, not _all _churches are anti-Halloween party any more than _all_ Halloween enthusiasts are Satanists. .


That is true, my daughters church has a Halloween party I guess is what I will call it. They have games and the kids ( and adults) dress up , they go around the track in the gym and collect candy ( each Sunday school class has their own station) They do ask that the costumes are family friendly which I guess is fair enough since it is a church  It is decorated and there are snacks ect. It's ok I guess. I hate trunk or treating myself and would never take my kids to any but I do respect the right to do whatever rubs your Buddha so I will acknowledge that I guess it has a place but I still hate it lol

Just wanted to add that if trunk or treating was what was happening when I was a kid I think I would have said forget it. the thing I described at my daughters church , the walking around the track , takes about 10 minutes, most trunk or treats take about 10-20 minutes to go from car to car. Actual trick or treating takes so much longer, and that was what was fun , it wasn't a quick hurry up and get candy and go home, we loved being out at night and searching for more houses with their lights on, trying to eek out every last place we could. We would even walk to other close by neighborhoods....ah such great memories, loved it.


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## Artcurus Art (Jul 24, 2016)

ooojen said:


> First of all, not _all _churches are anti-Halloween party any more than _all_ Halloween enthusiasts are Satanists. And Trunk or Treat can be sponsored by business, schools, the aforementioned Fire Fighers and Police, Scouts, 4-H, any number of groups.
> When people take their kids to Trunk or Treat events because of personal objections to Trick or Treating, odds are they wouldn't have let their kids go trick or treating anyway. So the former event isn't likely to be taking many participants away from traditional ToTing. I think there's room for both, and I applaud MacabreWeb for the resisting cane-shaking and angry reminiscing about "back in _my_ day". (Well put, MW.) Ditto to all the live-and-let-live people who aren't into it, but don't mind if other people are. Where ToTing is waning, I doubt outlawing Trunk or Treat would bring back its popularity.


I never said that Trunk or Treat should be banned and I've already acknowledged that it has a place. Here's the thing though, when Trunk or Treat is the only available option because of FUD, they miss out on the true spirit of T or T'ing and they would not get the true experience.


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## Hallow Girl (May 8, 2015)

What is trunk or treat? I never heard of it.


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## ooojen (Sep 4, 2014)

I agree that ToT is a lot more fun that Trunk or Treating appears it would be. But I recognize that's just my opinion. Take sushi, Justin Bieber, or The Big Bang Theory-- I think there are more enjoyable alternatives in each case, but I'm fine with others enjoying.
I didn't say you were proposing banning Trunk or Treat. And my post was just an expression of my opinion, not an attempt to argue with you. I agree with the preference for classic Trick or Treating; I just don't feel someone else's harmless entertainment preferences should bother me.


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## MacabreWeb (Jul 28, 2016)

Artcurus Art said:


> I never said that Trunk or Treat should be banned and I've already acknowledged that it has a place. Here's the thing though, when Trunk or Treat is the only available option because of FUD, they miss out on the true spirit of T or T'ing and they would not get the true experience.


The fact that you used "FUD" is proving my point. You're lumping together the extreme cases of helicopter parenting and trunk or treating, the same way as OOOjen said we get lumped together as satanists for our love of Halloween. This feels as some sort of political statement about the world being "too PC" and while I feel there are some things that are too PC, I only see it brought up when people are actually being offensive and don't want to be called out on it. 

Yeah it sucks when schools turn Halloween and Christmas into "fall festivals/winter festivals" but also we're a big mixing pot of people, some don't celebrate, some do, and instead of excluding those who don't, removing certain connotations allow them to be apart of it too. I hated this as a kid because it began around the time I was in Middle School, but now as an adult I can kind of understand it. 

This was meant to express our opinions about Trunk or Treating, but it really feels as from you specifically it's got some harsh feelings about Churches, you keep bringing up the Churches when it's been said it's not just a church thing and "the world being paranoid". While such things exist, I don't feel it's to the extreme your passions seem to be making it and it's getting a bit in the "tin foil hat" zone for me, so this is the last I'll be commenting on this particular thread.


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## hllwnfan (Aug 18, 2009)

I am really glad someone started this topic. Last year i was thinking about the whole idea of trunk or treat. My only issue with it is if the parents only take the children to a trunk or treat and do not let them go trick or treating on Halloween night. I understand if you live in a unsafe city or neighborhood (E.I. some parts of chicago) then yes a trunk or treat at your church would be appropriate instead of not letting the children do anything. BUT if parents are only taking them to a trunk or treat because it's convenient for the parents or think Halloween is about the devil then I'm sorry but you are depriving the children of amazing childhood memories and possibly killing a very historic part in the holiday.


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## Gym Whourlfeld (Jan 22, 2003)

Many years ago Police stats said that the Thursday night before Halloween was the vandalism night, even if it was almost a week ahead of Oct. 31!
A couple of good things about trunking. I would sure hope no Parents drive to it drunk.
It's fun decorating a car!
A few years ago a Parent dropped their kid off at a hay ride,then ran his car into the hay wagon, injuring others, lawsuits followed.
"Drunk?" Certainly was.
I know, if only the world were a "Perfect Place?"


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## Jenn&MattFromPA (Sep 4, 2013)

Last year with Halloween falling on a Saturday, a local school Trunk or Treat and our local park's "Candyland" Halloween hayride (done over 2 weekends) both seemed to affect the numbers for ToTing in our neighborhood. And, add to that all the parties on Halloween weekends that take their share of ToTers also. We are in walking distance of both the school & the park. Not last year, but the year before, we took our 2 small kiddos to the park's Halloween hayride & it was cute, although not especially "Halloween" in the true spirit of things. Nothing scary, more about candy & a hayride through the woods. 

I do like a Trunk or Treat in that it can allow some kids & their families to participate who might not be able to do traditional ToTing - ie, kids in wheelchairs or with other disabilities, family's who have walking issues or young children who can't be out in the weather much, and as mentioned, for areas where houses are very far apart (not in my area though) or somehow unsafe, etc. I'm all for inclusiveness! Especially if the ToTing has the traditional feel with skellies & witches & bats & ghosts & such instead of all cutesy or trickled down (like the candy hayride, which again, is cute but not really Halloween, IMHO). 

But, absolutely I hope that Trunk or Treats are IN ADDITION to ToTing for most people. We are also hopeful that this year, with Halloween on a Monday, that these events will happen on the weekends & that kids will be excited to do ToTing as well.


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