The Treat Trail in downtown Vernon is a no-go this Halloween.
The Downtown Vernon Association (DVA) has cancelled the popular Oct. 31 event due to restrictions on gathering sizes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an email to its members, DVA executive director Susan Lehman said the association held off making the decision for as long as possible with the hope that the Treat Trail could still be run.
“However, due to a number of factors including the continued restrictions on gatherings over 50 people, the requirement to have tracking information on participants, and the direction from the Province’s Public Health Officer that Halloween festivities this year be kept to small groups, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue planning for Treat Trail 2020 and will cancel our event this year,” Lehman said.
It’s been a challenging year for the DVA’s efforts to create events within the community, and Lehman says the association is eager to return to these events as soon as it’s safe and appropriate to do so.
“We share in the disappointment felt by many as this pandemic continues,” Lehman said. “That being said, the DVA is incredibly proud of the fortitude, resilience and creativity that our members have consistently demonstrated through this crisis and we are working hard to support you in every way we are able to.”
Hundreds of families participate in the Treat Trail each year, with children invited to hop from business to business in their costumes to collect candy in a safe and fun environment.
According to Lehman, the DVA counted 4,000 people on the trail in just two hours last year.
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