Hattiesburg, Mississippi – Although several annual events for October have been canceled due to COVID-19, trick-or-treating is still on the calendar. The City of Hattiesburg will observe Halloween on Saturday, October 31 with trick-or-treat hours between 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. This is a suggested time block for trick-or-treating, and the City encourages all residents to do what is best for their own individual families – including taking necessary precautions in regard to COVID-19.

“October is often a fast-paced, busy time for our city. And, while things may look different due to COVID-19 – Halloween is not canceled. We just ask that everyone do what they can to stay safe and to proactively avoid the risk of virus transmission” said Mayor Toby Barker.

Suggested precautions for trick-or-treaters and families include, but, are not limited to:

Stay home if sick.
Wear a mask covering both nose and mouth.
Be spatially aware while trick-or-treating.
Maintain an appropriate social distance. CDC guidelines recommend 6-feet.
Reduce crowd sizes and stick with family when possible.
Wash hands often or use antibacterial soap frequently after visiting each home.

Barker also stated that precautions shouldn’t be limited to trick-or-treaters alone. “We ask that Hattiesburgers who choose to give out candy make good decisions on behalf of our neighbors. Help celebrate a holiday that brings so much fun to our community by choosing safe ways to distribute candy.”

Suggested precautions for homes include:

Do not hand out candy if sick.
Wear a mask covering both nose and mouth.
Wash hands often or use antibacterial soap (containing at least 60% alcohol) frequently.
Choose creative ways to help distribute candy, safely. Be creative and make it as fun as possible for your trick-or-treaters. A few suggestions include:
- Use duct tape or another mark to mark 6-feet lines in front of your home and leading up to the doorstep.
- Position a distribution table between you and your trick-or-treaters, and place candy on a disinfected surface for easy grabbing to eliminate direct contact.
- Place a table at the end of your sidewalk/at the curb to create a pick-up candy station. Place individually-wrapped candy or goodie bags on the table for an easy grab-and-go.

Barker added that resources will be available to help with ideas and creative ways to still celebrate one of Hattiesburg’s most tradition-filled holidays in the safest way possible. These include a website at hattiesburgms.com/halloween2020 that lists best-practices for both trick-or-treaters and homes giving out candy.

It will also include a multi-week social media campaign to help with Halloween safety, public safety and general COVID-19 precautions regarding social distancing and mask-wearing while celebrating Halloween in 2020.

For more details, visit hattiesburgms.com/halloween2020 or facebook.com/cityofhattiesburg.