Halloween activities are already underway with the third annual Cole Ford Trunk or Treat held Wednesday night, Oct. 15. The event drew over 300 kids and parents to the dealership.
The Branch County Fair Trunk or Treat begins Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Fairgrounds off Sprague Street at 4:30 p.m.
Fair Manager Alyssa Blonde said over 25 signed up to give out candy for the kids who drive through with their parents. The fair board asked each person to bring one canned item to support the fair’s local food drive.
The manager said several people are camping on the grounds for the weekend.
Blonde said the Fair decided to hold the event for younger kids, “Because it’s a little more controlled, a little safer” than going out on the streets on Halloween night.
At Cole Ford, senior salesperson Kim Brubaker said her team got the idea three years ago at a conference as a way to show the dealership is local people with ties to the community.
“We live here, have kids, buy from each other’s businesses, and wanted to share,” Brubaker explained.
Kids and parents lined up before 5 p.m. in the lot at 410 E. Chicago St.
Businesses used the back of open SUVs or spaces under tents to hand out candy and, in some cases, information.
DNR Conservation Officer Nick Thornton handed out 324 posters about Michigan wildlife, answered questions, and offered safety tips, along with Coldwater Police, and the Branch County Sheriff Search and Rescue unit.
Great Start Early Childhood Education invited parents to sign up.
Jimmy John’s, which shares the Cole parking lot, handed out cookies.
Dutcher’s Funeral Home brought a hearse filled with candy.
Competing restaurants offered treats.
Branch District Library Fright Night
On Friday, Oct. 17, at the Library on Four Corners Park, 10 E. Chicago St., Coldwater, there will be a Pirate-themed night from 5 to 7 p.m.
Tricks, treats, and treasures, make and take crafts, a sea-themed maze in the basement, and caricatures in Kids Place. Royal Chevrolet sponsors the program.
The Coldwater Halloween Parade
Tim Farrell, family, and friends will stage Coldwater’s parade on Saturday, Oct. 25, from Hudson Street west to Pierson Street along U.S. 12, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Tim Farrell or a family member narrates from Four Corners Park.
Participants throw out candy to the kids who line the streets.
Halloween Trick-or-Treating
Safety Tips for the Evening:
“Please be safe walking and driving through the community and neighborhoods during that night,” Coldwater City Manager Keith Baker said.
Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Halloween is approaching in Branch County. When and where to find treats and activities
Reporting by Don Reid, Coldwater Daily Reporter / Coldwater Daily Reporter
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