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File photo. Jovani Garcia, 10, hands out candy in 2022 at the annual "Trunk or Treat" event in Palatka dressed as a skeleton.
Local authorities plan to supervise their own Halloween activities Tuesday but are still giving families advice if they choose to go trick-or-treating in their neighborhoods.
County officials scheduled trick-or-treating for 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, but local organizations are hosting events in Crescent City, Palatka, Pomona Park and other areas.
Palatka Police Department Chief Jason Shaw said staying safe on Halloween comes down to parents' good judgment and supervision.
“We urge all trick-or-treaters to stay in groups at all times, never enter someone's home, and check that candy is securely wrapped, from a trusted brand, and not homemade,” Shaw stated Thursday in an email through the city’s public information officer.
Other Halloween events include:
– Boo On the Avenue at 3-5 p.m. Tuesday in downtown Palatka. Local businesses will be handing out candy to kids in costumes, organizers said. Children in sixth grade or younger are welcome to attend but must be accompanied by a parent or adult.
– The Palatka Police Department’s eighth annual Trunk or Treat is 5-8 p.m. or until the candy runs out at the Palatka riverfront. Participants are invited to wear their best Halloween costumes. Local businesses and emergency personnel are offering the event as a safe trick-or-treating experience for children.
– The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office’s Trunk Or Treat will be 6-8 p.m. in front of the old Miller Middle School, 101 S. Prospect St. in Crescent City.
– The Crescent City Boo Crew will be 3-5 p.m. Tuesday. Wear a costume and kick off Halloween with the Boo Crew. Mayor Michele Myers and residents will be riding around town in decorated golf carts and bicycles to get in the spirit before trunk-or-treating. The event begins on the east side of Central Avenue in downtown Crescent City.
– Pomona Park’s Candy Drop will be 4:30-6 p.m. at Mayor’s Park, 107 Worcester Road. The event times are 5 p.m. for ages 2-5; 5:15 p.m. for ages 6-9; 5:30 p.m. for ages 10-13; and 5:45 p.m. for ages 14 and older. Games and activities begin at 4:30, town officials said. Admission is free. Anyone who wants to hand out candy from a truck or treat vehicle should stop by Town Hall, 1775 S. U.S.17 in Pomona Park. For details, call 386-649-4902.
The sheriff’s office said while children get ready to dress up in their best costumes Tuesday, deputies from the agency’s Special Operations Team will be working to ensure sexual offenders stay inside.
Some of the guidelines convicted sexual offenders must follow include not decorating for Halloween, not going out to trick or treat, not handing out candy and turning off porch lights, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Sheriff’s office spokeswoman Allison Waters-Merritt said families can always attend events law enforcement agencies are hosting because numerous officers or deputies will be at those functions to ensure safety.
“We go out in force,” she said about patrolling for sexual offenders.
Shaw offered more advice to families if they have already made plans that do not involve any of the planned community events.
“We also remind people to wear bright costumes, never walk distracted or use a mobile device while crossing the street, and have predetermined, well-lit trick-or-treating routes,” he stated.