For the past five years, Aurora has been ranked as one of the best cities for trick-or-treating in the United States by SmartAsset. The City of Lights will continue to offer a safe and fun Halloween experience this year amid COVID-19 with additional safety guidelines and a special drive-thru option for trick-or-treating.
“This will certainly be a Halloween like we’ve never seen,” said Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin during a recent press conference. “We will be safer, smarter, and still have fun during the annual festivities.”
The Center for Disease for Control has issued guidance for Halloween activities - https://tinyurl.com/CDCHalloweenGuidance - with specific suggestions for trick-or-treating in the traditional way.
The City of Aurora encourages adults to make the best decision for their families regarding participation in Halloween activities.
Complete information for Halloween 2020 in Aurora can be found online at www.aurora-il.org/Halloween, including:
TRICK-OR-TREATING HOURS
Official trick-or-treating hours on Halloween have been extended from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. to offer a longer window and ideally less density in the neighborhoods.
SAFETY GUIDELINES
Guidelines require parents and trick-or-treaters to wear masks, trick-or-treat only with family members and maintain at least six feet of distance from other trick-or-treaters as just part of the safety precautions. Homeowners participating in trick-or-treating must also wear masks at all times and are encouraged to mark their sidewalks/driveways with chalk or tape to designate the six feet of space and to use a table to distribute candy and to maintain added distance between themselves and trick-or-treaters. A full list of guidelines is available on the website.
PARTICIPATION SIGNS
The City is providing signs for display that will inform trick-or-treaters whether or not the house is participating. Signs can be downloaded from the website in English and Spanish or obtained at the Aurora Customer Service Center, 3770 McCoy Drive, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
TRICK-OR-TREAT DRIVE-THRU
As an added bonus, the City is offering a drive-thru option for families. The Aurora Trick-or-Treat Drive-Thru will be held from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Halloween at Phillips Park. Mandatory only registration opens at 12 p.m. on Saturday, October 17 at www.aurora-il.org/Halloween. Registrants can select a time slot and must show proof of registration and an ID upon check-in at the event.