The sun was shining and the autumn air was crisp on Saturday while kids dressed in their Halloween costumes for the Spooktacular Daytime Trick-Or-Treat event in Alcona that saw 54 businesses within Innisfi handing out Halloween treats.
Organized by Kate Badger and Jennie Chapman of Miss Jennie’s Performing Arts Studio and Johnny Burger’s Monique and Jim Siozou, the neighbouring businesses on Innisfil Beach Road welcomed about 10 other businesses who were invited to join in the Halloween festivities.
In what seemed like a dress rehearsal for Halloween, Badger and Chapman expertly organized the excited trick-or-treaters for a group photo.
“It's such a great opportunity for kids to trick or treat in the daylight with the added safety and security because the businesses take such great care. Businesses are setting up the most phenomenal decorations and tables for families when they visit,” Badger said.
“It’s nice to be able to have kids come out during the day, see all the businesses,” Jenny Krajewski of Bayshore’s Home Health said. “I think it’s sometimes difficult for kids to come out at nighttime, you know, because they have that fear, maybe, of it being dark and all the decorations, so when it’s a nice sunny day like today, I think it’s really nice for them just to get out and have that opportunity.”
Though it was Bayshore’s Home Health’s first time participating in the event, as a parent, Krajewski’s daughter has been trick-or-treating at the Spooktacular event for a couple of years.
As a free event, there’s no entry fee for businesses to participate, but they purchase Halloween treats to distribute to trick-or-treaters at their own expense. Each brick-and-mortar business was provided with a trick-or-treat jack-o'-lantern poster that they displayed in the windows.
It’s easy to marvel at the work that goes into organizing this event, but Badger and Chapman insist that “Our job is easy. We remind businesses of the date and time and drop off their signs but they do the rest. The Spooktacular (event) is completely voluntary and businesses blow us away with their enthusiasm and effort to make this a fun and memorable day for kids of Alcona!"
“COVID kept everybody isolated from each other for a number of years and the children felt it the most. I am so excited and happy to see children out in all the manners of costumes and socializing as children should at Halloween,” Deputy Mayor-Elect Kenneth Fowler said outside of Innisfil IdeaLAB & Library.
Originally run by the town of Innisfil in 2016, local businesses have taken the initiative to ensure that the annual tradition of the Spooktacular Daytime-Trick-Or-Treat event continues.
Families and groups of trick-or-treaters could be seen walking down Innisfil Beach Road for the length of the event, so it’s no surprise that afterwards, Badger and Chapman stated, “We love to see so many families out and about. This year, we had approximately 375-400 kids at Miss Jennie's/Johnny Burger.”
“Thank you to all of the volunteers who worked so hard to put on this event for the community and to highlight local businesses. It was great to see so many smiling faces,” said Mayor Lynn Dollin.
