MADISON — For parents who are concerned about trick-or-treating safety and for people who live in rural areas and don’t usually get to experience trick-or-treating in their own neighborhood, there’s an alternative way to collect Halloween candy.
For the first time this year, community members are organizing what they hope will become an annual event — the Madison Community Trunk-or-Treat — an event in which trick-or-treaters can go trunk-to-trunk, rather than door-to-door, collecting candy from Halloween decorated parked cars with disguised drivers handing out candy.
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Curtis Lake Church Trunk-or-Treat
When: Friday, Oct. 31
Where: Curtis Lake Christian Church Parking Lot, 38 Westview Drive, Sanford
Time: 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.
More info: http://curtislake.org/2012/outreach/trunk-or-treat/
Kennebec Community Church Trunk-or-Treat
When: Friday, Oct. 31
Where: Kennebec Community Church, 20 St. Andrews Street, Augusta
Time: 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
More info: Search “FREE Harvest Party & Trunk or Treat — Halloween Night” on Facebook
Madison Community Trunk-or-Treat
When: Friday, Oct. 31
Where: Madison Playground parking lot, Main Street
Time: 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
More info: http://www.madisonmaine.com/
The Rock Church Trunk-or-Treat
When: Friday, Oct. 31
Where: The Rock Church of Greater Portland, 66 Gorham Road, Scarborough
Time: 6 p.m.
More info: http://trcportland.com/trunkortreat/
“Trunk-or-Treat has really kind of been growing in popularity,” said Shawna Albert, 29, co-organizer of the Madison Community Trunk-or-Treat, who said she heard about the idea through word of mouth. “Parents here are really excited about it. We started running it by people, and they just got really excited about it. We started talking to local businesses about it, and they got really excited, too.”
Although safety concerns are one thing Trunk-or-Treat will help address, there wasn’t anything specific that Albert says prompted her to organize the event. It’s one of several that are new to Maine.
“When I took my nephews and my daughter out last year, it was like there’d be maybe three or four houses on each street that were handing out candy,” said Albert. “On top of that, it was dark and wet last year and just hard dragging the kids from house to house.”
On Sunday, the Canaan Elementary School hosted its second annual Trunk-or-Treat.
“We did it as a safer way to trick-or-treat, but we also don’t do it on Halloween itself because we see it more as a community event to get the community together and bring parents and kids together,” said Stephanie Voter, president of the Parent Teacher Fellowship, which sponsors the event.
In Madison, about 20 people have signed up to participate.
“There are a lot of people who live outside of town and don’t usually get trick-or-treaters, but who enjoy getting trick-or-treaters and seeing the kids in their costumes,” said Albert. “We’ve had quite a few of those people who just don’t usually get trick-or-treaters, but who’ve said, ‘Oh, we’ll do that!’ and then they get to enjoy it, too.”
In Maine, the Curtis Lake Church in Sanford claims to have started the first Trunk-or-Treat event about seven years ago, though they say they didn’t invent the concept, which was brought to the church by a new pastor in 2006. Today they believe it is the largest Halloween event in Maine.
About 4,000 people and 65 trunks are expected to take over the church parking lot and the parking lot of a former Walmart next door for Trunk-or-Treat this year, said Brett Williams, director of communications and outreach for Curtis Lake Church, an evangelical church.
The philosophy behind the event is to build trust within the community among people who have become disillusioned with the church.
“At anytime in the future, if they want to step foot in a church again, our hope is that we’ve softened the ground a little bit for that to happen,” said Williams. “We’re hoping that the opportunity we gave them at Trunk-or-Treat may make them feel comfortable enough to do that.”
However, there is no religious aspect to the actual event, he said, which this year starts with a “Despicable Me style dance party with minions” in the church auditorium as people wait to enter the parking lots. There is often a line to get in. Additionally, the theme song will be Pharell Williams’ “Happy.”
“It’s kind of like when you go to Disney World and one group is on the ride and another group is inside the ride prep room still getting your warnings. ‘Don’t stick your hand out,’ things like that. It’s like we’re pacing the crowd a little,” said Williams.
It takes about 45 minutes to go through the parking lots, where “trunk hosts” are encouraged to dress in costumes matching their vehicles. For instance, a Wizard of Oz theme would include a vehicle decked out like the yellow brick road and accompanied by Dorothy and the Tin Man handing out candy.
There is also a prize for the best trunk — which last year went to a Duck Dynasty trunk.
Williams said he believes the origins of Trunk-or-Treat are religious. Churches in Augusta, Bangor and Portland are also hosting Trunk-or-Treat events this year, but a religious philosophy is not the only reason the events get started.
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm
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