Have you participated in a Trunk or Treat event?  Trunk or Treat is a big deal in the Columbus area.  Some parents even feel that these events are safer than kids going door to door even in their own neighborhoods.

I live on a street that only has 12 houses and only one of them has kids that are trick or treat age.  Trick or treating in our township is 6 to 8 p.m. on October 31 when it is dark and might be a school night.  The last three years we have had one trick or treater.  Last year I gave all the candy we had to the one child who showed up at our door.

I wanted to see more kids dressed up, so this year I participated in the Lewis Center United Methodist Church Trunk or Treat.  It was the first time I had tried a Trunk or Treat event, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  Amy Dunlop, the Director of Children’s Ministry at Lewis Center, said the trunks did not have to be decorated and we should plan on about 200 children.  I decided against decorating, even though I did look at some of the fun Trunk or Treat decorations that are available.  Tom and I bought 220 pieces of candy and, on the designated day I parked in the parking lot and opened my trunk.

The first thing I had to do was figure out how to turn off the dome lights.  I didn’t want to have a dead car battery at the end of the afternoon!  It was easy enough to do – just push the right buttons – although I haven’t turned them back on again yet.  After doing so, I was ready for the Trunk or Treaters.  There were about 30 cars ready to welcome the kids.

The church advertised the event in Lewis Center, inviting church kids and neighborhood children.  They advertised the event as being from 4 to 5:30.  The church kids knew that there was a magician in the sanctuary from 4 until 4:45.  The trunk or treating started after the magician.  But the neighborhood kids didn’t get the point of the magician.  They wanted to start trunk or treating immediately.  We sent them inside to see the magician until about 4:30 when there were enough kids outside that we let them start trunk or treating.

It was fun to see all the kids and their parents.  In some families everyone was dressed up.  In others, just the kids.  A few kids didn’t have costumes.  I asked one brother/sister pair what they were dressed up like and the sister told me they had just come straight from soccer.  I replied that they must be dressed up like soccer players.  They brightened up and agreed, and the brother ran to their car to get his soccer ball.

There were lots of superheroes as well as many monsters.  Lots of traditional costumes like witches and vampires.  There were also more contemporary characters including Marios and a bunch of Barbies.  I enjoyed them all was pleased to let them pick out a candy bar.  Tom and I had gotten an assortment of candy bars and one of the most popular was Almond Joys.  They were the first ones gone!

The Trunk or Treat event at Lewis Center was a lot of fun and a good way to invite the neighborhood to the church.  By the time the kids were done, I only had about 30 candy bars left.  Just enough to give to the one trick or treater who showed up at my door on Halloween.