Trick or Treat?
Local Halloween tradition could go dark in 2020
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 25, 2020
A crowd of Halloween revelers fills Church Street in front of the home of Andy Gibbon in 2018. The fall holiday brings thousands of trick-or-treaters to the neighborhood each year, but due to COVID-19, many residents will not be participating in the tradition in 2020. Photo courtesy of Andy Gibbon
Three hundred and sixty-four days out the year, Church Street — nestled just north of downtown Black Mountain — is an idyllic setting of old homes situated along a tree-lined block in a quiet historic neighborhood. The other day, it’s packed with thousands of costume-clad trick-or-treaters.
Halloween is a tradition like no other for residents of the neighborhood who collectively hand out tens of thousands of pieces of candy from elaborately decorated yards and homes each year, but many homes will be dark and silent in 2020.
For more than two decades, the fall holiday has been a highly anticipated event for a number of people who live on the streets of Church, Connally and Dougherty, where residents purchase candy in bulk and often spend weeks designing and building creative displays. The festive nature of the neighborhood has no doubt contributed to its increasing popularity as a destination for families seeking a safe and fun atmosphere.
“Halloween is something that a lot of us in this neighborhood look forward to every year,” said Church Street resident Andy Gibbon, whose Kraken-themed yard was a big draw for trick-or-treaters in 2019. “For our family, making decorations is like an art project for the fall.”
The community has seen the crowd that descends upon the homes grow steadily each year, and while no official count is available, Gibbon has an idea of how many people were in attendance last year.
“We’re careful to give away one piece of candy to each trick-or-treater every year because it’s quite an investment,” he said. “Last year we gave out 2,000 pieces. So if you have that many trick-or-treaters, and you add in their parents, we easily had over 3,000 people here.”
Pandemic forces neighborhood to consider public safety
As neighbors began having informal conversations about Halloween plans in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one question continued to arise.
“How can we ensure any kind of social distancing with a crowd that size?” Gibbon said. “I just don’t know if I’m comfortable encouraging that number of people gathering in such close proximity.”
The Kraken theme featured by the Gibbon family in 2019 was a popular one with trick-or-treaters, but the home is one of several on Church Street that hopes that this Halloween will be much quieter. Courtesy of Andy Gibbon
Jack Taylor, who lives just down the street from Gibbon, struggled with the same dilemma.
“I’ve been in wait-and-see mode trying to determine where things would be at that point,” said Taylor, whose yard is known to trick-or-treaters for its intricate “Pirates of the Caribbean” theme. “I’ve looked online at creative ways to do this, and I’ve seen people create chutes and modify PVC pipes to drop candy to the sidewalk, but I don’t see that as being feasible here. In the age of social media, if someone posts that houses on Church Street are giving out candy, people would start showing up and then you’ve lost control and the ability to social distance.
“We get thousands of people on this street every Halloween” he continued, “and we can’t have that many people gathered so closely right now.”
Taylor, who also decorates his mother’s house next door every year, is not planning to put up displays at either home or pass out candy this year.
“She’s high-risk, so we don’t want to take any chances,” he said. “I probably won’t have my (porch) lights turned on this year, because I want to discourage crowds from gathering. Our whole family is disappointed because we’ve been doing this for 20 years, and we absolutely love Halloween, but we don’t want to become a national headline as a street that was the epicenter for an outbreak.”
Gibbon and his family may opt for less elaborate decorations this year, but they have yet to decide whether or not they will keep their porch light on for trick-or-treaters.
“We’re bummed that the neighborhood won’t be able to have a big celebration,” he said. “This is usually our street’s favorite time of year, and most of the neighbors I’ve spoken to just don’t feel good about being responsible for a large number of people getting together like that.”
Residents aren’t the only ones hoping for a quieter Halloween in 2020. The Inn Around the Corner, a bed and breakfast near the southern end of Church Street, will also opt out of the tradition this year. One block over, on Dougherty, the Black Mountain Library, which extended its hours for trick-or-treaters in 2019, will also be closed.
“I think if anyone does anything this year it will be low-key,” Taylor said.
Church Street in Black Mountain is traditionally the epicenter of a festive neighborhood Halloween celebration that draws thousands of trick-or-treaters. This year, however, many local residents will keep their lights off to discourage large crowds. Fred McCormick
Black Mountain police will monitor the situation
A typical Halloween in Black Mountain would include police officers stationed near First Baptist Church on Montreat Road, where they greet revelers with glow-in-the-dark accessories and assist with traffic control. This year, however, the department does not intend to help facilitate a large crowd by closing the roads around the neighborhood.
“We plan to monitor the situation,” BMPD Chief Shawn Freeman said. “We won’t have our booth set up at the end of Church Street like we have in years past, but we will be prepared to ensure everyone is safe.”
Under Phase 2.5 of the Governor Roy Cooper’s Safer at Home order, which will remain in effect until at least Oct. 2, outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people or less. No statewide or local restrictions related to trick-or-treating have been announced, but the Center for Disease Control recently listed the activity as a “high risk” for the spread of COVID-19.
The town encourages all residents to follow Buncombe County’s “Three W’s” guidance, which advises people in public to wear a mask, wait at least six feet apart and wash and sanitize hands frequently.