WILTON — The Police Department and Wilton Fire and Rescue will host a safe trick-or-treat event on Halloween night, Oct. 31.

Called a Halloween Trick or Trunk, it will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on High Street and at Kineowatha Park, Police Chief Heidi Wilcox said.

Families can walk down High Street, trick-or-treating at homes previously approved by police. At the park, drivers of decorated vehicles and antique cars will pass out treats from their trunks. All treating participants will be vetted by police beforehand.

Police will visit each home on High Street and place markers on their lawns to indicate they are participating, she said.  

Any business or individual can pass out treats at the park, but they must preregister, she said. No one will be admitted to the park to pass out candy unless they do so, and no registration will be accepted that day.

High Street, from the Municipal Parking lot to Wiles Funeral Home, will be blocked, Fire Chief Sonny Dunham said. These are sites where people can park, he said.

Firefighters will also man side road entrances such as those at School, Fuller and Knapp streets to ensure the street is clear for walking, he said.

With about 30 homes along High Street, it is a popular site for young ghosts and goblins to visit, Wilcox said. Homeowners usually expect about 130 trick-or-treaters.

The department has purchased a lot of candy to help homeowners with additional visitors, she said. 

When the Police Department was given an anonymous gift of $1,000 to use at their discretion in August, Wilcox asked her officers for ideas. They agreed they wanted to use it for the community and especially for children, she said. One officer lives in Dixfield and suggested Wilton host a street trick-or-treat like his town does, she said.  

The Fire Department joined to help with public safety. Members of the department’s auxiliary plan to help and the Wilton school’s Parent Teacher Forum is willing to help, she said.

“We will try it this year and see how it goes,” she said. “We’ll see if the community wants to continue it.”

The event is open to anyone. People can trick-or-treat at other sites, Wilcox said.

To register for Kineowatha Park, call the Police Department at 645-3876.

abryant@sunmediagroup.net