JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While most events around town were canceled this year due to the coronavirus, Northeast Florida has adapted when it comes to safe events.
Halloween festivities are starting early at Lakewood Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville.
On Sunday, Oct. 25, the church is hosting its first drive-thru trunk-or-treat.
“What it’s going to look like is ... the trunks are going to be socially distanced in the parking lot. ... There’s going to be a car in every space, and instead of kids walking around like they usually do, we’re going to ask families to come in their cars and stay in their cars,” said Brian Mitchell with Lakewood Presbyterian Church.
With families not leaving their cars and the candy pre-packaged, this is considered a low- to moderate-risk activity under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations.
In Fleming Island, Phillip Scarnecchia with Hibernia Baptist Church says they expect well over 400 people to attend the candy drive-by they are hosting on Friday, Oct. 30.
“What they’ll do is whenever the car pulls up, they’ll have like a sticker on the outside -- and the sticker will say two adults, three kids, so we know five individuals," Scarnecchia said. “We’re going to have girls and guys in like ’50s diners outfits. Some of the girls are going to wear roller skates, and then they’re going to get five different containers of hot dogs and a bottle of water and condiments and things like that, and they’re going to wheel up to the car and just let them know that we love them.”
That’s not all.
“At the very end, they’re going to get a professional photographer," Scarnecchia said. “And I don’t know how this is going to work because it’s new for us, too.”
If you want to go door to door on Halloween night, here are the major takeaways from the CDC’s recommendations:
- Avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters.
- Give out treats outdoors, if possible.
- Set up a station with individually bagged treats.
- Wash hands before handling treats.
- Wear a mask.
Halloween events
There are events going on everywhere from Starke to Valdosta.
Duval County
Lakewood Presbyterian Church Trunk or Treat
Date: Sunday, Oct. 25
Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 2001 University Blvd. W., Jacksonville, FL, 32217
St. Johns County
TRUNK OR TREAT Car & Bike Show - St. Augustine
Date: Sunday, Oct. 25
Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 380 Outlet Mall Blvd., St. Augustine, FL, 32084
Parkview Church Drive Thru Trunk or Treat
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Hours: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 5435 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, FL, 32137
St. Thomas Episcopal Church Trunk or Treat
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Hours: 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: 5540 Belle Terre Parkway, Palm Coast, FL
Trunk or Treat at Epic Theatres of St. Augustine
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Hours: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Location: 112 Theatre Dr, St. Augustine, FL, 32086
Baptist Health Place at Nocatee Halloween Carnival and Grand Opening Celebration
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cost: Free
Area: Ponte Vedra/Nocatee
Location: 884 Cross Town Drive, Ponte Vedra, FL, 32081
Clay County
Lowe’s Curbside Trick-or-Treat
Dates: Thursday, Oct. 22, and Thursday, Oct. 29
Hours: Vary -- reserve a time on the site.
Cost: FREE
Multiple locations: https://diy.lowes.com/
Halloween at Herron Real Estate
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
Hours: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 1925 Park Ave, Orange Park, FL, 32073
Phone number to call: 904-729-4313
Trunk or Jeep at Dick’s Wings Fleming Island
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
Hours: 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 1803 East-West Parkway, Fleming Island, FL, 32003
Trunk or Treat at REVEL Functional Fitness
Date: Saturday, Oct. 24
Hours: 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 831 Leonard C, Taylor Parkway, Green Cove Springs, FL, 32043
Phone number to call: 904-446-8199
Trunk or Treat at River Christian Church
Date: Sunday, Oct. 25
Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 5900 U.S. Highway 17, Fleming Island, FL, 32003
Candy Drive-By with Hibernia Baptist Church
Date: Friday, Oct. 30
Hours: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 7100 U.S. Highway 17, Fleming Island, FL, 32003
Social Distancing Trunk or Treat
Date: Friday, Oct. 30
Hours: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 2349 Village Square Parkway, Fleming Island, FL, 32003
Date: Friday, Oct. 30
Hours: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 2320 Market Drive, Fleming Island, FL, 32003
Candy Crawl at Orange Park Mall
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Hours: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 1910 Wells Road, Orange Park, FL, 32073
Drive-Thru Trunk Or Treat at First Baptist Church of Orange Park
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Hours: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Area: Clay County
Location: 1140 Kingsley Avenue, Orange Park, FL, 32073
Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat at First Baptist Church of Middleburg
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Hours: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Area: Clay County
Location: 2645 Blanding Blvd., Middleburg, FL, 32068
Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat with Calvary Baptist Church
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Hours: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cost: Free admission
Area: Clay County
Location: 1532 Long Bay Road, Middleburg, FL, 32068
Bradford County
Drive-Thru Trunk or Treat at Kingsley Lake Baptist Church (Starke)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 25
Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Cost: Free
Area: Bradford County
Location: 6289 Mary Dot Lane, Starke, FL, 32091
Trunk or Treat Madison Street Baptist Church
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 28
Hours: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free
Location: 900 W. Madison Street, Starke, FL, 32091
Wild Adventures Pumpkin Spice Festival
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 26, through Sunday, Nov. 1
Cost: Included with park admission
Location: 3766 Old Clyattville Road, Valdosta, GA, 31601
Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie will host a COVD-19 safe Trick-or-Treat event
Both Supermarkets will be hosting free trick-or-treat events next weekend.
Candy stations will be placed throughout the stores, which will be served safely by store associates wearing masks and gloves. The Candy filled event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 31 from 12 p.m.-2 p.m.
Costumes are encouraged, but not required. However, face masks are required for the health of customers and supermarket associates.
All Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie stores will be participating in the event.