COVID-19 Can’t Stop Halloween from Coming to Coopersburg

In the Southern Lehigh area, as elsewhere, Halloween celebrations this year will be different as result of the coronavirus pandemic. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be opportunities for spooky-scary fun, however.

The annual Trick-or-Treat night will take place on Friday, Oct. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m. in both Coopersburg borough and neighboring Upper Saucon Township.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines must be followed at all times during the event, and borough officials are asking that, as in previous years, those who are not participating keep their exterior lights turned off.

The CDC has recommended that families participating in Trick-or-Treat try a method of candy distribution/collection called “one-way trick-or-treating.”

As described by the CDC, in one-way trick-or-treating “individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard).”

The CDC has labeled that type of trick-or-treating “moderate risk,” while traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating and so-called “trunk-or-treating” activities have been labeled “higher risk.”

Other tips shared by the agency include:

• If you are preparing goodie bags to hand out, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after preparing them.
• Wearing Halloween-themed cloth masks made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that cover the mouth and nose and don’t leave gaps around the face.
• Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade in which people are distanced more than six feet apart.

The committee that organizes the annual Coopersburg Halloween Parade announced in June that the parade will not take place this year due to COVID-19.

The parade is typically held in mid-October and is a highlight of the calendar year, but the committee felt the decision was necessary in order to protect public health and safety.

Hellertown’s annual Saucon Valley Spirit Parade was canceled for the same reason.

Mayor David Heintzelman–who chairs the parade–later explained the decision in greater detail in an interview with publisher Josh Popichak on his podcast No Rain Date.

Trick-or-Treat in the borough of Hellertown and Lower Saucon Township is scheduled to be held Saturday, Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.