Communities Post Halloween Events, Times

State, county officials offer safety tips

By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
October 26, 2022
Posted in: Announcements

“Jack o’Lanterns” by Joe Shlabotnik via Flickr. Licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Mon-Yough area communities have slated times for trick-or-treat and other Halloween activities.

The City of McKeesport will hold trick-or-treat hours from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday (Oct. 31), along with Liberty Borough, North Versailles Twp., Port Vue, Versailles, West Mifflin and White Oak.

Trick-or-treat hours in Dravosburg are 6 to 7:30 p.m.

In the City of Pittsburgh, trick-or-treat will be celebrated from 5 to 7 p.m. for those who participate.

Duquesne will not have door-to-door trick-or-treating. Instead, Duquesne’s Halloween festivities will take place at Memorial Park from 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31, Mayor Scott Adams said. In case of inclement weather, activities will be moved to the police garage.

Other local activities include:

Dravosburg

There will be a parade in the borough building parking lot beginning at 5 p.m. Monday.  Please call the borough office at (412) 466-5200 to register your children. The event is open to all borough children up to age 13.

Liberty

There will be a Halloween Parade on Scene Ridge Road beginning at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 31, with trick-or-treat to follow.

City of McKeesport

Carnegie Library of McKeesport will hold a Halloween costume party starting at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 27. Be sure to wear your costume.

A Halloween movie will be shown at 3 p.m. Monday at the library.

West Mifflin

A Halloween party will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct 29 at West Mifflin Community Park, 525 Bettis Road, and will include crafts, food and games and a costume contest.

White Oak

A Halloween parade will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday (Oct. 29) with a “trunk-or-treat” event to follow at 12 noon at Sampson’s Mills Presbyterian Church on Lincoln Way. The parade will leave the church parking lot, head left on Ohio Avenue, and continue onto McClure Lane, Kansas Avenue and Kelly Street before retyuring to the church.

The event is sponsored by White Oak Borough, the recreation board, the church and local Girl Scout troops. Music, refreshments and treats will be provided. In addition, emergency, construction and sanitation vehicles will be available for children to inspect and ask questions.

State, county officials offer safety tips

Allegheny County Health Department and the county Department of Emergency Services offered Halloween safety tips for revellers of all ages.

Practice Physical Distancing: If you’re out trick-or-treating, try to avoid crowds and maintain six feet of separation.

Distribute Candy Safely: If you’re giving out Halloween treats, remember what many people did last year, which is to have containers of treats outside for children to select from so that you’re not coming into close contact with everyone who knocks on your door.

Host and Attend Halloween Parties Outdoor: If you’re attending or hosting a Halloween party, remember that outdoors is better than indoors. If you have to be indoors, try to leave windows and doors open to increase air circulation.

Choose a Costume That Won’t Cause Safety Hazards: Costumes, wigs and accessories should be fire-resistant. If children will be out after dark, fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags, or give them glow sticks. Opt for nontoxic makeup and remove it before children go to bed to prevent skin and eye irritation.

Beware of Traffic: Children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year.

According to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, from 2016 to 2020, there were 2,092 pedestrians struck by cars across Pennsylvania on Oct. 31. Those crashes resulted in 19 deaths.

Motorists should watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs. New, inexperienced drivers should refrain from driving on Halloween, county and state officials said.

Parents and guardians should instruct children to travel only in familiar, well-lit areas and stick with their friends. Put electronic devices down, and keep hands up and walk, don’t run, across the street.

In addition, officials recommend that a responsible adult should accompany young children.

“Protecting oneself from the coronavirus is only part of the consideration for celebrating Halloween safely. Halloween costume and traffic safety measures still apply for trick-or-treaters,” added Chief Matt Brown of Allegheny County Emergency Services. “Our first responders want to join in the fun while keeping their community safe and happy, but we need everyone to help us do that.”

Follow Basic Safety Tips: If older children are going alone, plan and review a route that is acceptable. Agree on a specific time that children should return home. Teach children never to enter a stranger’s home or car. Tell children not to eat any treats until they return home and an adult is able to look at what they’ve received. Also remind any child with an allergy to take care to avoid any food that may impact them.

Tube City Almanac correspondents Tom Leturgey and Dianne Ribecca contributed to this report.

Originally published October 26, 2022.

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