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Ghouls just want to have fun!


The weather is getting cooler and the winds are shifting - that means the spooky season is right around the corner!


A big question for many families and children is whether or not Halloween can be celebrated safely. On September 20, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) issued guidance to help Illinoisians celebrate safely. The most important guidelines continue to be to wash your hands, watch your distance, and wear your mask.


Halloween guidelines include:

  • Participating trick-or-treaters, including those passing out candy, should maintain 6-feet of social distance and wear proper face coverings. A Halloween costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask. Ensure that breathing is not impaired if a cloth mask is worn under a costume mask. If so, discard the costume mask.

  • Consider leaving individually wrapped candy (spaced apart) on a table in driveways or in front of walkways, sidewalks, or any outdoor space where 6-feet of distance can be maintained.

  • Candy collected during trick-or-treating should not be eaten until after handwashing.

  • An alternative to traditional trick-or-treating is to set up in a large parking lot or another outdoor setting with tables with individually wrapped candy (spaced apart) where participants with a parent/guardian can parade past while still keeping 6-feet of distance and wearing a face covering. It’s suggested to offer reserved time slots to limit everyone showing up at once.

  • Halloween haunted houses currently are not allowed. Consider open-air, one-way haunted forests or haunted walks where 6-feet of distance can be maintained and face coverings are used.

  • Gatherings of more than 50 people or 50% or more of a building’s maximum occupancy are prohibited.

  • If visiting pumpkin patches and orchards, cloth face coverings and social distancing should be enforced. Hand sanitizer should be used before handling pumpkins, apples, and other produce.

  • Hayrides should not exceed 50% capacity with parties spaced at least six feet apart.

  • Wear face coverings at all times when around people not from your household.


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