MONROE — The City of Monroe Common Council’s Public Safety Committee elected to set no hours nor formal Halloween plans for 2020, due to concerns over COVID-19. There are no sanctioned activities planned.
The Committee followed the guidelines/examples of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Green County Public Health Department and many other communities in the region.
The Committee recommended that persons follow those guidelines when deciding if they will allow their children to trick or treat door to door.
If residents do not wish to take part in Trick or Treat or hand out candies, then they should not turn on their home porch lights. Those who want to participate should leave the light on. Those persons that choose to trick or treat should only visit a small group of close, known persons, but if they choose to go door to door, they should only visit those locations with porch lights on.
Brodhead won’t hold trick or treat
BRODHEAD — With the convergence of a full moon, a blue moon, daylight saving time and Saturday’s celebrations, plus the unprecedented events of 2020, Halloween can truly be one to remember. However, due COVID-19 much has changed. The Brodhead Common Council voted at their Oct. 12 meeting to follow the Wisconsin Department of Health Services’ recommendation to not have trick or treating but offers the following suggestions for alternative methods of celebrating.
Area Trick or Treating Times
Albany: Saturday, Oct. 31 5-7 p.m.
Belleville: The city does not set official Trick-or-Treat hours, but recommends that activities are wrapped up with lights out by 9:30.
Blanchardville: 5:30-8 p.m.
Brodhead: City will not hold trick-or-treating.
Darlington: Saturday, Oct. 31 4-5:30 p.m.
Lena, Ill.: Saturday, Oct. 31 5-7 p.m.
McConnell, Ill.: Saturday, Oct. 31 4-7 p.m.
Monroe: City did not set official hours.
Monticello: Friday, Oct. 30 4-8p.m.
New Glarus: Village did not set official hours.
Citizens can still enjoy the holiday, just celebrate with fewer people in-person and/or more people online. They can hold virtual costume contests and parties; dress up and get online with friends and other families to celebrate and rate each other’s costumes. Residents are encouraged to increase what they do at home to celebrate; decorate their homes and get children involved in making decorations, bake Halloween-themed treats, watch scary movies with their family, household, or as a group online. Leave individual grab bags (or paper cups) filled with goodies outside the door for friends and loved ones for contact-free way of celebrating. Search the internet for new and creative ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19, while celebrating Halloween.
Avoid the following events: large outdoor gatherings such as parties, festivals and parades; in-person indoor parties and celebrations; in-person costume contests and parties no matter where they might be held; happy hours or socializing at bars or restaurants or going house-to-house and having in-person contact.
Feel sick, stay home and do not pass out trick or treats. Practice social distancing and sanitize or wash your hands often. Stay local and avoid the urge to attend events in another municipality, it can lead to greater spread of the virus. Use the DHS individual decision tool to assess what is best when it comes to celebrating this year.