'Trunk-Or-Treating' Lets Kids Get Candy In Parking Lots

[matcom]

<snip>

WICHITA, Kan. -- Dark streets may make parents nervous, and malls can be a bit too bright for adventurous children craving spooky Halloween thrills.

Now, there's a way to trick-or-treat that provides something for everyone.

"Trunk-or-treating," also known as Halloween tailgating, gives youngsters a chance to dress up and walk around outdoors collecting candy. But instead of going door to door, they head for a designated parking lot to gather goodies from parked cars with elaborately decorated trunks.

Prizes are given out in categories, including best costumes and most creative cars.

Trunk-or-treat events are typically sponsored by churches or businesses, with volunteers tapped to pass out the treats. One organizer in Wichita said parents feel really comfortable bringing their kids.

http://www.wftv.com/family/10189685/detail.html

[MrCoffee]

1. leave it to the grown-ups to suck all the fun right out of Halloween.

[LostinVA]

2. Ugh -- wtf?

This is as lame as making kids T-or-T while it's still DAYLIGHT.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. That sounds like lots of fun.

Ugh. I'd bring eggs and toilet paper to such an event.

[Momgonepostal]

4. Our church has done something like this for years

But it's not on Halloween night, it's usually on the weekend before, as part of a Halloween party, so kids can still trick or treat if they choose to. The kids love it, because they can rake in a lot of candy in a short time span, and it gives them a chance to wear their costumes a second night. Parents like it because it's supervised and since it's a church run thing, they know the candy givers involved.

One of the problems I see with trick or treating in my area these days, it that so many of the houses are dark and not handing out candy, the kids end up walking all over the place and getting very little. It seems like when I was a child, in this same town, very few people chose not to pass out candy on Halloween. Now, well over half, maybe 3/4 of the houses on our neighborhood are dark. I don't know if people are scared, or don't want to be bothered, or what. We get very few trick or treaters at our house. Usually less than 5 sets or people. One time it was just one. Halloween ain't what it used to be.