Finally, something to celebrate in 2020. The weather on Saturday, October 31, 2020 was perfect for Highland Park’s hundreds of trick-or-treaters and their parents enjoying the holiday in the sunshine, albeit under a cloud of COVID protocols.
But most had no problem adjusting to the new normal of Halloween 2020 that featured creativity not only in costume but also in candy delivery. Particularly happy features of the day were: the candy chutes shooting candy from the porches into the bags of the trick-or-treaters; all the candy (this year many full-size bars!) left on tables and stoops outside of homes; and adults and kids reveling in seeing their friends non-virtually for the first time in months. Because of masks, the smiles were hidden, but the eyes sparkled with excitement.
Main Street Highland Park’s efforts to transform the downtown into a festive Halloween atmosphere drew A plus reviews from the participants. Everyone followed instructions and wore masks; stores left their treats outside; free Main Street tote bags with valuable coupons were given away; and rock music from El Noordzo on the corner of South 3rd and Pete Horvath on North 4th kept people swinging and burning calories ingested from the treats in their bags.
Fortunately, the trick-or-treaters and their parents had an extra hour of sleep to recover from their pitch perfect Halloween celebration – if they remembered to set the clocks back. Thank you to everyone who made this holiday such a happy and sugary sweet blip in a challenging year.