Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. Before kids head out in costume, parents and caregivers should have a few conversations about who walks with whom, which treats to toss, how to cross the street, and when to call 911.
Always go with young children around the neighborhood. Looking for a safer more contained experience for the littles, check out park districts, local businesses, churches, and your child’s school offer Halloween parties and activities earlier in the day.
Tell your older children to trick-or-treat in groups. Discuss a familiar route and a set time they’ll return home. Check in over text every block, and/or use tracking devices like an Apple AirTag or have them actively share their location.
Teach your child how to read treat labels for any allergen ingredients they may have and how to stay away from bite/fun sized treats that tend to have different ingredients than their normal-sized counterparts. For younger children, discuss safe treats or wait until they’re home to avoid any allergic reactions.
Treats in no packaging, plastic baggies, or with rips or tears should not be consumed.
Talk with your child or teen about how to cross the street. This includes crossing at the end of the block, not between parked cars or alleyways, making eye contact with a driver, crossing the street in a group, looking both ways of the street, and avoiding headphones or texting/calling on their phones.
Stranger Danger is critical on nights like Halloween. Kids should never enter a person’s home or car for candy. Law enforcement should be notified immediately about any suspicious or illegal activity.
Report suspicious or illegal activity to police right away, and don’t assume someone else will make the call. Callers to 911 can stay anonymous or identify themselves as members of the Garfield Neighborhood Watch or Clearing Night Force. Give the dispatcher as much detail as possible: a vehicle’s license plate, make, model, and year, or any distinctive features of the person involved.
Seniors who would rather not answer the door after 7:30 p.m. can pick up window signs at their 13th Ward or 23rd Ward alderman’s office.
Midway Chamber of Commerce
The Midway Chamber of Commerce is still accepting applications for the Midway Retail Market Portable Sheds, a new small business incubator located at Archer and Narragansett. This program is designed to help local entrepreneurs test their business ideas, build a customer base, and grow into a permanent storefront within the Midway community. Applications are open for artisan and handmade goods, apparel and retail brands, pre-packaged food vendors, and unique small business concepts.
Veterans/Military Pole Banners are back! The Midway Chamber of Commerce will honor active military, ROTC, or veterans with a personalized photo pole banner. The banners will be displayed on Archer Avenue or 63rd Street! The Chamber’s goal is to have them installed before Veterans Day and keep them up for the remainder of the year.
Join the chamber for their annual pub crawl! It’s on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Meeting location is Twisted Shamrock. Drink packages start at $65 for 5 beer tickets or $70 for 5 mixed drink tickets. Drink Packages: one drink ticket for each bar stop (5 total), custom crawl T-shirt by Timeless Tattoos Chicago, and bus transportation. For more information and registration, check out the chamber’s website.
Join the Midway Chamber of Commerce for their Annual Cookie Walk on Saturday, Nov. 14! This year marks their 6th Annual Cookie Walk on Archer Avenue and their 2nd Annual Cookie Walk on 63rd Street! Stroll through the neighborhood, visit participating local businesses, collect delicious cookies, and discover all that our small business community has to offer. For registration information, check out the chamber’s website.
Kick off the holiday season with the chamber at the Midway Merry Market on Saturday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Midway Marketplace! Shop small and enjoy a festive morning featuring local businesses, artisans, food vendors, bakers, boutiques, holiday gifts, sweet treats, and more.
Garfield Ridge Satellite Senior Center
Join us at the senior center for a Trick or Treat Halloween Costume Contest on Wednesday, Oct. 28. Wear a Halloween costume, and you could win a prize! They will have their own Halloween Parade inside the center, and everyone will get to vote. There will be fun and easy Halloween games with treats as prizes. This activity is free! Registration is required.
The senior center is celebrating veterans and Veterans Day with a Bingo Party at Garfield Ridge Satellite Senior Center! You do not have to be a veteran to join in this celebration on Friday, Nov. 6, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Your advance ticket purchase includes admission to the party, morning snack, lunch, two free bingo cards to play through 10 games of bingo with gift card prizes. There will also be a guessing game, Split the Pot, and a raffle (Raffle tickets are $1 each or six tickets for $5).
Tickets will be available for purchase until Wednesday, Oct. 28, or until all seats are full. Admission is by ticket only. No tickets will be sold at the door.
Community Parishes
St. Daniel the Prophet Church’s next food drive will be their Thanksgiving food drive, which will take place on Sunday, Nov. 8. Please consider bringing a can or packaged non-perishable items to Mulligan Hall from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
St. Symphrosa’s upcoming school fundraiser is on Nov. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Hall, 6148 S. Mason Ave. The theme is Trivia Night with Fr. Kevin. Gather your team of 6-8 people, pick a team theme, and get ready to outsmart Fr. Kevin as he puts his trivia skills to the test. Team tables must be reserved by Nov. 10. Email schoolboard@stsymsschool.org for purchases or additional questions.