On Thursday, October 22, Stamford Mayor David Martin announced that the City is discouraging traditional Halloween trick-or-treating this year and advises residents to not participate in trick-or-treating of any kind with individuals outside your household.
The City has been saying it will follow the state’s guidance when it comes to celebrating Halloween.
Martin says the decision was made with support and guidance provided by the Office of Public Safety and Director of Health Dr. Jennifer Calder. According to the City, all types of trick-or-treating often require contact with individuals from outside your household and therefore present a risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. Residents should consider alternative methods of celebrating Halloween this year that follow health and safety guidelines.
“While there are many proposed alternatives to trick-or-treating, such as trunk-or-treating or socially distanced trick-or-treating, none of these address the inherent risk of spreading the virus through close contact with others or objects they’ve touched,” said Director of Health Dr. Jennifer Calder. “There is no truly safe way to participate in trick-or-treating.”
Like other communities across Connecticut, Stamford is seeing a trending increase in the average of new positive cases of COVID-19 per day.
“Stamford’s community has adapted remarkably well to social distancing and mask guidelines this year, however we have seen an increase in cases since September and we must renew our vigilance to keep our community safe and healthy,” said Mayor David Martin. “We are potentially at the beginning of a second wave across Connecticut and in our community. We must take this threat seriously to keep this virus under control and save lives.”
The City recommends residents follow the State of Connecticut’s Halloween guidance on what events to avoid and other recommendations. Residents should consider potential alternatives to trick-or-treating such as virtual costume contests, movie nights, or indoor candy scavenger hunts with your household. Any activity that’s restricted to an individual’s household can still safely take place. For example, households can take a walk in their costume and return home to eat candy purchased from a store, but any contact with other households should be avoided. Families should also recognize that many residents may be reluctant to open their doors to trick-or-treaters this year due to the COVID epidemic.
Visit the State’s dedicated webpage for Halloween guidance for a full list of recommendations.
If you’re looking for safe ways to celebrate, here is our list of options (we will continue to update up until Halloween!)
We have also heard several requests for displays that are fun to drive by! Below are a few that have been shared with us!
5 Hazelwood Lane (scary)
Stew Leonard’s Norwalk, Friday, October 2 – Saturday, October 31, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., daily
27 Woodridge Drive (for the inflatables that little kids love!)
Lockwood Lane in Riverside, outdoor pathway on Halloween
Palmer Street
Pepper Ridge Road
Red Fox Road off Wire Mill Road