Halloween "trick or treat" time for the City of Ashland is Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023, between 5:00 and 7:00pm. Rain or shine.
Trick or Treating in the City of Ashland occurs each year on the Thursday before/of Halloween, which is chosen so as to not conflict with Friday night High School football and other weekend activities. The 5-7pm time frame is to protect our children - even with reflective costumes and flashlights, the potential for harm to a child is too high to risk having the event later in the evening when it is dark. This event is for the children and we want it to be a safe, fun event for them.
If you wish to have trick or treaters visit your home, please turn on the outside porch light. Trick or treaters, please respect porch lights turned off as a sign of residents choosing to not participate.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests these practices to make this a safer Holiday for everyone:
- Plan costumes that are bright and reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well and that costumes are short enough to prevent tripping, entanglement or contact with flame.
- Consider adding reflective tape or striping to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.
- Because masks can limit or block eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup and decorative hats as safer alternatives. Hats should fit properly to prevent them from sliding over eyes. Makeup should be tested ahead of time on a small patch of skin to ensure there are no unpleasant surprises on the big day.
- When shopping for costumes, wigs and accessories look for and purchase those with a label clearly indicating they are flame resistant.
- If a sword, cane, or stick is a part of your child's costume, make sure it is not sharp or long. A child may be easily hurt by these accessories if he stumbles or trips.
- Do not use decorative contact lenses without an eye examination and a prescription from an eye care professional. While the packaging on decorative lenses will often make claims such as "one size fits all," or "no need to see an eye specialist," obtaining decorative contact lenses without a prescription is both dangerous and illegal. This can cause pain, inflammation, and serious eye disorders and infections, which may lead to permanent vision loss.
- Review with children how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they ever have an emergency or become lost.