Collier County neighborhood doesn’t expect typical lively Halloween

This Halloween is not going to look like any Halloween you remember. A candy company says more than half of you won’t participate in trick-or-treating, and some families plan to turn out their lights to stop trick-or-treaters from showing up at their doorsteps.

Thousands of children normally swarm a particular Collier County neighborhood every year to go door-to-door, but this year, Victoria Park homeowners want to see some changes. The streets there are typically filled with thousands of people every year, but for Halloween 2020, homeowners are hoping some people stay home to keep everyone safe.

There might be fewer screams this year, especially because Susan Van Gemert’s annual haunted house won’t come to life.

“No one is supposed to be close to one another, everyone is supposed to wear masks and everything,” Van Gemert said. “So we decided we probably won’t do our haunted house this year.”

Van Gemert is taking a break and hopes to keep the thousands of kids that come every year safe and healthy.

They aren’t the only ones worried about what Oct. 31 will look like.

“I feel like the biggest concern is going to be Victoria Park because it’s the biggest neighborhood,” said Alyssa Lafferty. “There’s always crowds, and there are thousands of people, so they are definitely going to have to find some regulations.”

A See’s Candies survey showed that out of 1,000 parents, 56% of them said they plan to stay home this year.

“I haven’t even bought candy,” Van Gemert said.

And one-third of those people surveyed also said they will be shutting off their lights to avoid trick or treaters.

Many parents we spoke to say that as long as people stay socially distant and there are no crowded streets like there usually are in Victoria Park, then they think it should be OK.

Kids are excited, and that’s why some parents hope they can still go door-to-door to get some treats.