With Halloween just around the corner,
the City of Stoughton is releasing safety guidelines and recommendations
for celebrating during the current COVID-19 pandemic.
 

• The City of Stoughton Trick or Treat hours will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 2020. Participation is at your own risk and discretion.  The City of Stoughton does not promote this event. The Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) encourage you to avoid traditional trick-or-treating from neighbor to neighbor.  Participating in Halloween events could contribute to the spread of COVID-19.

• Wear a mask. All participants (trick-or-treaters, chaperones, residents handing out candy) should wear a cloth face covering.
• Stay home if you are sick or high risk. Do not trick-or-treat if you feel sick, are high risk or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19.
• Do not hand out candy if you or anyone in your household is sick. Leave your porch lights off.  
• Contact your doctor if you or your child is high risk or is at greater risk of complications from COVID-19 before participating in Halloween activities.
• Limit groups of trick-or-treaters to household members only.
• Limit number of chaperones for each group.
• Maintain social distance from other groups. Leave at least six feet between your group and the next while walking or visiting residences.
• Visit only the houses with lights on. If lights are out, please move on to the next residence.
• Refrain from having children select their own treats from a bowl or common container – or set up a hand sanitizing station.
• Avoid homemade treats made by strangers. Allow children to eat only factory-wrapped treats.
• Enjoy Halloween parties with immediate family only. Avoid large group gatherings.

• Use tongs or gloves to hand out candy – or try one of these creative tricks:
  • Set up a table of treats in your driveway.
  • Use PVC pipe to deliver candy from a distance.
  • Attach treats to sticks stuck in the ground.
  • Hang treats from a wall or fence.
• Give out prepackaged candy only.
• Do not give out candy if anyone in the household is sick or under quarantine or isolation due to COVID-19.
• Do not set up haunted houses for trick-or-treaters in confined spaces.
• Set up a one-way trick-or-treat line with 6-foot spaced markers.

• Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
• Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
• Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
• Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
• Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
• Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
• Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19

• Large outdoor gatherings such as parties, festivals, and parades.
  • Even though being outside decreases the risk, being in close contact with people you do not live with increases the risk of spreading and contracting COVID-19.
• In-person indoor parties and celebrations. 
  • In-person costume contests and parties are not recommended, no matter where they might be held.
• Happy hours or socializing at bars.
  • We have learned that going out to the bars helps the virus spread quickly.
• Traditional trick-or-treating from neighbor to neighbor.
  • Going house-to-house and having in-person contact is not recommended

• Wear a light-colored costume so you can be seen in the dark.
• Wear strips of reflective tape and carry a flashlight to enhance visibility.
• Make sure your costume is not a trip hazard or make it hard for you to see.
• Ask your parents or an older family member to escort you as you trick or treat.
• Trick or treat in your own neighborhood on well-lit streets.
• Walk on sidewalks whenever possible. Be extra careful crossing the street at night, and be sure to only cross at street corners and crosswalks.
• Wait until you get home to eat treats. Do not eat anything that is not wrapped.
• Notify the Police Department about anything suspicious.