Palatine, Barrington set trick-or-treating hours

The villages of Barrington and Palatine will hold trick-or-treating hours from 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31, but are encouraging people to take precautions due to COVID-19.

"Given the current times we are living in, we are going to have some resources on our website," Deputy Village Manager Mike Jacobs said at the village council meeting Monday night.

Both villages are encouraging residents to follow guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

They include practicing 6-feet social distancing, placing individually wrapped candy on tables in driveways, walkways or sidewalks, keeping porch lights on to indicate participation and having trick-or-treaters stop only at those houses, and trick-or-treating in groups comprising only family members.

Recommendations include that everyone wear a face mask. A Halloween costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask, and people should ensure that breathing is not impaired when a cloth mask is worn under a costume mask. Candy should not be eaten until after hand washing.

Palatine, following the example of other municipalities, has created signs that people can download and print at home to indicate whether they are inviting trick-or-treaters to stop by. The signs, which say 'Trick or Treaters Welcome' or 'No Trick or Treater Please,' are at palatine.il.us/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=145.