Most years, we would use this page as a friendly reminder to watch out for little ghouls and goblins on the roadways as they scour the neighborhoods looking for treats in lieu of tricks. This year, however, with COVID-19, it’s not clear how many trick-or-treaters will go door to door in McHenry in pursuit of sweets. 

Yes, McHenry is having Trick-or-Treat. So are most of the communities in the area. If you have little ones who are eagerly anticipating dressing up in Halloween costumes, knowing when your community is having Trick-or-Treat is essential. And, since you may drive someone in the county on Saturday, it helps to know this information, too.

Those little monsters get down-right thrilled by something as exciting as Halloween and Trick-or-Treat. Their focus is on going to as many homes as possible so they can fill their bags or plastic pumpkins until they’re bulging. They’re not necessarily focused on the road. They may not pay attention to oncoming traffic before they dart into the street. And, with their costumes, they may not have the same peripheral vision as usual.

Drivers need to pay extra attention because we can’t count on young children to apply appropriate caution. And those little Spidermen and Wonder Women can get away, for a moment, from even the most diligent parent.

As for the hours of Trick-or-Treating in the area, here are the latest hours we were able to find. It’s recommended that you check with your community to ensure that nothing has changed and to find out if there are any coronavirus-related rules to follow:

• 3-5 p.m. – McHenry
• 3-7 p.m. – Johnsburg
• 3-8 p.m. – Wonder Lake
• 1-5 p.m. – Richmond
• 6-8 p.m. – Spring Grove
• 4-7 p.m. – Woodstock
• 3-7 p.m. – Crystal Lake
• 3-7 p.m. – Hebron
• 5-8 p.m. – Harvard
• 3-6 p.m. – Fox Lake

From McHenry to neighboring communities, have a safe and fun Halloween this year.

By the way, if you need work on your vehicle during the Age of COVID, there are shops in the area that provide sanitary pick-up and drop-off of your vehicle.