With Halloween just around the corner, it is the time for all the gouls and goblins to start coming out. Houses begin getting dressed to impress with tombstones and spider webs. Children begin getting eager to collect the pounds and pounds of candy, and parents begin to worry about where to take the children trick-or-treating.

Growing up in a large city, door to door trick-or-treating in a neighborhood is what I was accustom to, but moving to Auburn opened my eyes to a completely different form of trick-or-treating.

The Auburn Parks and Recreation Department offers something unique for the City of Auburn, different from anything I have seen before. Thursday, Oct. 30 from 6 – 8 p.m. the city of Auburn closes the streets of downtown and turns the restaurants and stores on the block into “official monster merchants.”

Each monster merchant will display a sign showing their participation in the 8th annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat. Since the participating businesses will be marked, it lets parents know it is safe for the children to enter and take the goodies that are given out. This takes away from the worry and concern a parent might hold when not knowing what is being dropped into their child’s goodie bag.

Throughout the night, judges will be observing each costume for a costume contest. At the end of the night awards will be given to best child’s costume, best adult costume, best pet costume and best group costume. Along with a costume contest, autographs will be given out by the following Auburn sports teams: football, basketball, equestrian, swimmers, divers and gymnasts. During Downtown Trick-or-Treat the streets will be filled with music from the Caterpillars of the Community Band.

If children are not on your Halloween agenda, Auburn’s sister city, Opelika, also offers something unique to the Halloween experience, the Howl'oween Dog Parade.

Monday, Oct. 27 from 5 – 7 p.m. on 8th Street and Railroad Avenue in historic downtown Opelika, Opelika Main Street will host the 3rd annual Howl’oween Dog Parade and Costume Contest benefit for Rescue K911.

The Howl’oween dog parade is a holiday celebration to dress up your four-legged friends in Halloween attire. There is a minimum donation of $10. Proceeds from the celebration will go to Rescue K911, a no-kill rescue refuge for dogs, operated by Loraine and Larry Weaver in Camp Hill.

Bags will be provided for dogs to trick-or-treat at downtown businesses. Dogs can also go bobbing for balls and their owners can get smooches from pooches at a kissing booth. Prizes will also be given away for the best doggie costume.

The Cities of Auburn and Opelika offer two unique alternatives to door-to-door trick-or-treating. Halloween is a night that only spooks by once a year so dress your kids up, dress yourself up or dress your pooch up and join Auburn and Opelika for Downtown Trick-or-Treat and Howl’oween.

For more information on Downtown Trick-or-Treat, please contact the Auburn Parks and Recreation Department at 501-2930. For pre-registration or more information on Howl’oween please contact Canine American at 705-6455.


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