Putting a new spin on Halloween

This Halloween, ghosts and goblins will have a new place to haunt with the new Teal Pumpkins Trunk or Treat on Oct. 28.
“I’ve always liked the idea of a trunk or treat,” said organizer Kim Soderberg McRae.
“It just seems like kind of a different spin on a Halloween event,” she said.
Instead of trick-or-treating door to door the trunk or treat program will have kids going trunk to trunk in the parking lot at Chestermere Station Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics.
“We’re getting local businesses and organizations to sponsor a trunk,” said McRae.
As part of the Teal Pumpkin program, the treats being handed out won’t be candy. Instead small toys or other non-food treats will be handed out.
Some things could be on offer in the trunks include stickers, crayons, chalk, glow sticks, colouring books and crafts.
“Once you start thinking about it it’s amazing how many non-food things you can find,” said McRae.
The Teal Pumpkin Project was launched in 2014 as a way to promote safety and inclusion for children with food allergies.
Families are encouraged to paint and display a teal pumpkin and have non-food treats ready for ghosts and goblins with allergies on Halloween.
“Everything’s a safe treat for the kids…everybody can participate, nobody’s excluded,” she said.
McRae said that this event will be particularly good for kids with allergies or small children but everyone is welcome to come.
“For families with little kids they’re not dragging them door to door at six or seven o’clock at night they can have an afternoon trick-or-treating in the daylight where it’s not so scary,” she said.
As of election day, McRae had 8 trunks confirmed for the event and was working to sign up more groups to sponsor a car for the event.
In addition to the trick-or treating there will be free hot chocolate.
Depending on the weather there will also be a face painter.
“She won’t be able to paint if it gets too cold or if the wind’s blowing, it affects the face paints,” said McRae.
If the Trunk or Treat event is successful, McRae plans to add costume contests for the kids and decorating contests for the cars next year.
The whole event is part of McRae’s push as the Macaroni Kid Publisher for Chestermere and area to have more family friendly low cost events in the city.
Trunk or Treat runs in the Chestermere Station parking lot from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 28.