Community groups offer alternative to trick-or-treating

JACKSON, Tenn. — Halloween is less than a week away. If you do not want to trick-or-treat, there are other options.

Thousands of people are expected to pack the Ballpark at Jackson on Saturday for the ninth annual Jackson-Madison County Trunk or Treat.

Director Jeff Wall said about 80 local businesses, organizations and agencies will participate. “We saw almost 20,000 children and their families last year,” he said.

The event includes entertainment, giveaways and lots of candy. This year, organizers want people to bring a blue glow stick. They will light the ballpark blue to honor law enforcement and first responders.

“Law enforcement, police officers — they’re our friends,” Jackson Director of Neighborhood Services Monique Merriweather said. “They protect us, and we want the children to know that. We want the community to know that.”

If you need more candy, Englewood Baptist Church will host its annual Fall Fest Sunday night at the east campus on Highway 70. Englewood Local Missions Pastor Robin Popplewell said they expect hundreds to attend. “We just want to offer an alternative that they can come. The whole family’s safe,” Popplewell said.

Englewood’s free event will include food, games and a stockpile of candy. “You’re going to get more candy here than you’re going to get if you ever went trick-or-treating,” Popplewell said.

Jackson-Madison County’s Trunk or Treat kicks off at 3 p.m. Saturday. Englewood’s Fall Fest will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.

If you want to get Halloween weekend started early, First Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Jackson will host a trunk-or-treat event from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.