Mixing Bowl

HALLOWEEN 2020

Drive-Thru Trunk-or-Treat

The City of Watsonville Parks and Community Services Department and the County of Santa Cruz will host a DriveThru Trunk-or-Treat event Friday from 4:30-7:30pm, or until supplies last. Families are invited to drive through Ramsay Park, 1301 Main St., with nonprofits and other groups placing treats inside car trunks. They can also participate in a car-decorating contest. Photographs will be taken of the decorated cars and posted on social media, where the community can vote on a winner. Masks required.

Harvest Fest Candy Factory

The First Baptist Church, 101 Madison St., Watsonville will be hosting a special outdoor event on Saturday between 5-8pm. Families are invited to stop by for a physicallydistanced, family-friendly outdoor walkthrough to receive candy. Be entered into a raffle to win a skateboard, scooter or bike. Face masks are required, and candy will only be handed out to children elementary school aged and younger.

Watsonville Halloween Treasure Map

Various businesses across Watsonville will be open to hand out “treasure” (individually-wrapped candy, snacks, stickers, etc.), adhering to Covid-19 safety guidelines. Sponsored by Togo’s Watsonville and PV Chamber. Pick up a map anytime between 10am-8pm Saturday at either Togo’s Watsonville location. To add your business to the map, email wdtogos@gmail.com or call 430-0825. FLYING SAFE A Halloween sign hangs over a porch on Orchard Street in Watsonville.

Johanna Miller

GRAB AN EAR Freshly harvested corn fits in with the Halloween season.

HALLOWEEN AT HOME

4 Many traditional Halloween activities promote congregating and mixing of households, which increase the risk of transmitting Covid-19. For this reason, Santa Cruz County public health departments recommend safer alternatives and discourage traditional trick-or-treating.

The safest way to celebrate is to spend time with people in the same household and to celebrate virtually. Some alternatives that are lowrisk include: • Creating a haunted house or candy scavenger hunt in your home for members of your household. • Having a scary movie night or Halloween-themed activities (pumpkin carving, face painting) at home. • Participating in online parties or contests (e.g., costume or pumpkin carving). • Dressing up homes and yards with Halloween-themed decorations. • Participate in a scavenger hunt in your neighborhood to look for objects (e.g. witches, spider webs, black cats), while maintaining distance from people from outside your household. • Car parades that comply with public health guidance including: -Drive-by events or contests where people dress up or decorate their vehicles. -Drive-thru events where people stay in their vehicles and drive through an area with Halloween displays. -Drive-by events where people can receive a treat bag (commercially packaged non-perishable treats) or item(s) from an organizer, while the participants remain in their vehicle.

The following are higher-risk activities that are discouraged: • Door-to-door trick-or-treating is not recommended as it can be difficult to maintain proper social distance on porches and at front doors, or ensure that everyone answering or coming to the door is appropriately masked. It also involves touching high-contact surfaces such as doorbells and candy bowls. • “Trunk or treating” where children go from car-to-car instead of door-to-door to receive treats is also not recommended, as it is difficult to avoid crowding and sharing food.

The following activities are prohibited by state public health orders: • Halloween gatherings, events or parties with non-household members • Carnivals, festivals, live entertainment and haunted house attractions • Having a large dinner party with people from different households coming from different geographic locations • Large indoor celebrations with singing or chanting. Large gatherings, even if they are outdoors, are high-risk for spreading Covid-19 • Eating, drinking, speaking loudly or singing amongst others outside of your household

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE MEASURES

Regardless of how you choose to celebrate Halloween, it is important to keep the following in mind: • Face Coverings: Wear a cloth face covering that securely covers nose and mouth to prevent disease spread when outside your home and around others that are not part of your household.

Plastic, rubber, vinyl, and other

Halloween costume masks are not acceptable substitutes. • Social Distancing: Stay at least 6 feet away from people who are not part of your own household, especially when talking, eating, drinking and singing. • Outdoors is Safer: Avoid confined spaces, especially indoors. • Good Hygiene: Wash or sanitize your hands often. Clean hightouch items regularly. • Minimize mixing: Plan activities to limit mixing between different households. • Stay Home if sick or in a highrisk group: If you are sick, or have been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19 or has symptoms, stay home. This is especially important for people at higher risk of illness or death (older adults, people with chronic medical conditions).