Kids rejoice! The annual Trunk or Treat Halloween event is back this year, after skipping last year’s treats due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Swanny City Park.
During “trunk or treat” events, people decorate their cars or booths and sit in a park for kids to trick or treat from car to car. Moab’s trunk or treat is hosted by the Grand County Family Support Center, an organization that provides family-friendly activities to strengthen families and create a caring community. The event is extremely popular—in the past, over 2,000 children have come, according to Sherilyn Sowell, administrative director at FSC.
“It was kind of like, how do we get the whole community involved, that they can see the children in their costumes and hand out candy?” Sowell said. “It’s an opportunity to … as a community, get together as a whole. Let’s do this for the kids.”
The event began as a way to ease the strain on neighborhoods that had a lot of trick or treaters, Sowell said. The FSC partnered with Dale Harper, a pastor at the First Assembly of God church on Boulder Avenue, who had experience hosting trunk or treat events in the past.
“When we originally started it, we didn’t know it would get so big,” Sowell said—the church had tried to organize similar events for years and only had a few hundred children coming. “But on the first year, we probably got 1,400 children.”
For the first time ever, this year’s event will be at Swanny City Park. Sowell is expecting kids from Moab, Grand County, and tourists who are visiting Moab to come. Sowell thinks trunk or treat is so popular because it’s one of the only events in Moab that’s specifically for kids, and is inclusive of little kids too.
“It’s for all children,” she said. “It doesn’t matter where you’re from.”
There are a few ways to participate if you want to hand out candy. Trunks aren’t required; if you don’t have a vehicle, you’re welcome to set up a booth or even just a few lawn chairs, Sowell said.
She welcomes any organizations who want to hand out candy and encouraged the candidates running for Moab City Council and Moab mayor to come to the event to get to know their community.
There are also a few drop boxes around town where people can donate candy: in front of the Dollar General, City Market, Village Market, and Walker Drug Store. The FCS will also pick up donations. Candy donations are crucial, Sowell said—some families can’t afford to buy 2,000 pieces of candy, and it’s important that people don’t run out of candy before the event ends at 5 p.m.
“We’re all a part of a community,” Sowell said. “This is how we come together.”
Admission is free and everyone is welcome.
Event Info
What: Trunk or Treat
When: Saturday, Oct. 30 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Swanny City Park
