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Organizers adapting to make sure Halloween events are fun & safe

Jacksonville church hosting its first drive-thru trunk-or-treat; other events going on throughout Northeast Florida

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

Steel Mill Trunk or Treat

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.


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