Olivia Jacobs
BLOOMINGTON -- Downtown Bloomington will host its annual trick-or-treat event from 5-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25.
Hannah Horn, downtown development specialist for the City of Bloomington, said they have around 40 businesses and 15 community organizations so far who plan to participate in the event.
The Town of Normal will also be hosting its annual Treat Feast event from 4-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, for trick-or-treaters to visit various uptown Normal businesses. The event is free and open to all ages, and costumes are encouraged. The event will take place rain or shine.
Cathy Oloffson, director of communications and community relations for the Town of Normal, said the event has averaged about 1,500 attendees over the last three years.
For downtown Bloomington's event, the city provides trick-or-treat bags for kids to collect candy throughout the downtown area. Last year, they handed out 1,500 bags and had nearly 2,500 kids attend the event. Horn said they almost always run out of candy or become close to running out.
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"(It is) a really collaborative effort between the business owners and the city," Horn said. "So, they (the businesses) usually dress up. They'll decorate windows and they'll usually have a theme, too. It's a really great time to celebrate Halloween downtown."
The McLean County Health Department will again be handing out teeth-cleaning kits to kids as part of its "treat" giveaway.
And, the city be participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project, a nationwide movement that aims to make the holiday more inclusive for kids with food allergies. Businesses that want to provide non-food items like stickers or pencils can get a teal bucket from the city for those treats, and the teal bucket will serve as an indicator that those items are safe for kids with allergies.
Some participating businesses and organizations for the event include Ivy Lane Bakery, Red Raccoon Games, Sugar Mama Bakery, Second Presbyterian Church, Pantagraph Media and more.
"They (Ivy Lane) always do a different theme every single year ... it looks like 'Monsters Inc.' is going to be the vibe," Horn said. "Red Raccoon does a really good job. They also provide dice as their trick-or-treat giveaway."
Second Presbyterian usually holds a trunk-or-treat event on the same night, but this year the church is partnering with the downtown trick-or-treat event to have different trunks open and available on the streets of downtown.
Another participating business, 2FruGALS Thrift at 417 Main St., will once again be distributing Beanie Babies from its collection.
Owner Carol Wilson said they started the tradition about four years ago with the mini Beanie Babies once given out by McDonald's, as they typically had an overwhelming amount of them donated to the shop.
"We thought, 'Well, why don't we just give this stuff away to the kids?' So, that's how it started because we could never sell it off," Wilson said. "But we could never put out enough (for trick-or-treat). I mean, you know, they'd be gone... We'd get candy also, but they'd be gone ... like in the first hour ... so then it just kind of grew from there."
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Wilson said she inherited nearly 1,000 Beanie Babies from her mother-in-law and decided to add them to the store's collection for Halloween. She also posted on Facebook to let the community know they were collecting Beanie Babies, and received thousands of donations.
Last year, the business gave out over 2,000 Beanie Babies and was fortunate enough to not run out. Wilson added that they like to let kids choose which Beanie Baby they want, so the store sets up multiple stations so the line doesn't get too backed up.
Wilson said they plan to give out approximately 2,400 Beanie Babies this year. In past years, Wilson said they've also given out books, so they may do that again this year as well.
"Oh, the smiles on the kids' faces. And of course, the event grows every year," Wilson said of what she enjoys most about distributing the Beanie Babies. "We're pretty much the hit of the downtown ... friends and family will come ... it's so much fun to give them out ... And yeah, it's just one of the most fun events down here."
Those interested in signing up for the event as a participating business or organization can contact Horn at [email protected].
Here is a list of other trick-or-treats hours and Halloween-themed events in our area:
BLOOMINGTON Trunk or Treat; 5-7 p.m. Oct. 25, IAA Insurance and Travel, 2103 N. Veterans Parkway; free candy, face painting and more. Trunk or Treat 2024; 6-7 p.m. Oct. 25, Trinity Lutheran, 801 S. Madison St.SOAR Halloween Dance; 6-8 p.m. Oct. 25, Miller Park Pavilion, 1020 S. Morris Ave.Trunk or Treat; 1:30-3:30 p.m. Oct. 26, Reconcile Church, 411 E. Mulberry St.Howlaboola; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 26; 12-3 p.m. Oct. 27, Miller Park Zoo, 1020 S. Morris Ave.Halloween Skate Fest; 2:30-4 p.m. Oct. 27, Bloomington Ice Center, 201 S. Roosevelt Ave.Bloomington Country Club's Family Halloween Event; 5:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 27, 605 Towanda Ave.; members only. Trick or Treat Night; 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 29, Villas of Holly Brook, 1815 N. Towanda Barnes Road. Halloween Parade and Story Time; 10 a.m. Oct. 31, Bloomington Public Library. Trick-or-Treat at Ewing Manor; 4-6 p.m. Oct. 31, Ewing Cultural Center, 48 Sunset Road.Citywide trick-or-treat hours; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31. NORMALTreat Fest; 5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 24, uptown Normal; all ages; free.Trunk or Treat at The Loft of Normal; 5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 25, 510 Broadway Ave.Halloween Hoopla; 6-8 p.m. Oct. 25, Children's Discovery Museum, 101 E. Beaufort St.; $11-$16. Teen After-Hours Halloween Party; 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 25, Normal Township Hall. Haunted Trail; 6:30-9 p.m. Oct. 25-26 (scary), Constitution Trail. Special Needs Trick or Treat; 3-5 p.m. Oct. 27, Courtyard by Marriott, 310A Greenbriar Drive.Treat Street: An Indoor Trunk or Treat; 4-6 p.m. Oct. 27, Normal First United Methodist Church, 211 N. School St. Witches Night Out; 5 p.m. Oct. 25, dress in your best witch or wizard costume and explore uptown Normal businesses. Humane Society of Central Illinois Trunk or Treat; 5-7 p.m. Oct. 29, 423 Kays Drive; pet costume contest and more. Halloween Hullabaloo; 6-7 p.m. Oct. 29 and 10-11 a.m. Oct. 30, Community Activity Center; stories, songs, costume parade and more.Townwide trick-or-treat hours; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31. MCLEAN COUNTYAnchor; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31Arrowsmith; 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 31Bellflower; 5-7 p.m. Oct. 31Carlock; 5-7:30 p.m. Oct. 31 Chenoa; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31Colfax; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31Danvers; 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 31Downs; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31Ellsworth Trunk or Treat; 5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 31, United Methodist Church, 101 S. Main St. Gridley; 5-7 p.m. Oct. 31Heyworth; 5-9 p.m. Oct. 31Hudson Trunk or Treat; 3-5 p.m. Oct. 26Hudson; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31LeRoy Trunk or Treat; 3-4:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Presbyterian Church, 101 E. Pine St. LeRoy; 4:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 31Lexington; 5-7 p.m. Oct. 31McLean; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31Saybrook; 5-8 p.m. Oct. 31Stanford; 5-8:30 p.m. Oct. 31Party at the Park; 3 p.m. Oct. 26, Stanford; costume parade, trunk or treat, games and more. Photos: 2023 trick-or-treat in downtown Bloomington 102923-blm-loc-trick3.JPG 102923-blm-loc-trick4.JPG 102923-blm-loc-trick5.JPG 102923-blm-loc-trick6.JPG 102923-blm-loc-trick7.JPG 102923-blm-loc-trick8.JPG TRICK-OR-TREAT! 102923-blm-loc-trick2.JPG
Contact Olivia Jacobs at 309-820-3352. Follow Olivia on Twitter: @olivia___jacobs
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