Oak Brook sets Halloween trick-or-treat hours

Halloween trick-or-treat hours on Saturday, Oct. 31, will from 4 to 7 p.m.

The Village of Oak Brook believes that parents are the best judges of their children's participation in Halloween activities.

In the current COVID-19 environment, the village is taking the position that parents need to make the decision as to whether or not their children engage in Halloween activities. For parents' reference, the Centers for Disease Control recently released information on low, medium and high-risk Halloween activities, including ideas for at-home, virtual and physically distanced alternatives.

It is the village's hope that residents have the opportunity to celebrate Halloween in a way that they are comfortable with while continuing to exercise the safety protocols.

If you choose to trick-or-treat or hand out candy, we ask that you please follow these safety guidelines:

• Do not participate in trick-or-treating if you are feeling unwell, are awaiting COVID-19 test results or if you know that you have been exposed to COVID-19.

• Plan a costume that incorporates a fun and functional face mask and gloves. Costume masks should not be a substitute for medical/cloth face masks.

• Avoid close contact with others by leaving candy on your porch, driveway or walkway.

• Offer candy on a disinfected table or use some other method to eliminate direct contact with trick-or-treaters.

• If you are handing out candy, wear a face mask and gloves and only hand out prepackaged treats.

• Do not trick-or-treat in groups with others; trick-or-treat as a family and maintain a safe distance from other groups when travelling from house to house.

• Please do not distribute homemade treats or fresh fruits.

• Keep hand sanitizer near your door for the trick-or-treaters. Parents should take hand sanitizer with them when walking with their children.

• Practice physical distancing and make sure you sanitize your hands throughout the evening and wash them after you get home.

• Monitor children closely. Put electronic devices down, watch for traffic, obey all traffic signs, look before crossing the street and never cross between parked cars or in the middle of the block.

• Turn ON your porchlights or outdoor lights to show your home is welcoming trick-or-treaters.

• Please refrain from ringing the doorbell if the porchlight is not on.

If you will not be handing out candy, please turn OFF outdoor lights and/or post a sign that you are not participating.

For residents who do not wish to participate in trick-or-treating this year, the village has a sign that you can download at www.oak-brook.org and print to place on your front door to notify potential trick-or-treaters. For further questions, please contact the village hall at (630) 368-5026.

Please note that, while these serve as our current guidelines to parents regarding Halloween, the state may restrict participation in Halloween activities through guidelines issued by the Illinois Department of Public Health. If the state issues guidelines that conflict with ours, we will communicate that information through the village's social media platforms.

For Halloween safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics visit www.healthychildren.org.

For "Halloween Safety On and Off the Road" from the National Safety Council at www.nsc.org/home-safety/tools-resources/seasonal-safety/autumn/halloween.