Halloween recap for Burns Lake

The second Halloween since COVID-19 hit has come and gone, and trick-or-treating provided a mixed bag of experiences from residents this year.

With the Burns Lake area currently experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak, and social distancing mandates still in place, Lakes District News decided to open it up to the public via a Facebook post to see how Halloween went for both trick or treaters, and those giving out candy from their front porches.

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In general, the response seemed positive. No comments were made about any kind of rudeness or hostile behavior from anyone, and everyone seemed to handle the holiday in a their own way depending on the situation.

One resident named Bonnie Dennis said that her family was self isolating, and her son couldn’t go out trick-or-treating. So, her cousin came up with an idea to do a little reverse trick-or-treating; leaving a bag out with a sign explaining the situation in front of the house so that anyone who felt in the giving mood could leave some.

The result was overwhelming, as the bag was completely full by the end of the night, along with several other boxes of candy and treats. “My son was so happy. We’re very grateful to those who contributed,” said Dennis.

Kiana Charlie said that it was a slow night for giving out candy, claiming that they had bought lots of candy but that kids kept skipping the house. “We even left a note that we had candy, so whenever some kids showed up we gave them double or triple the candy,” Charlie said.

This seemed to be a theme, as another resident named Rose Ruffell said that they had 100 kids, though in past years they’ve seen around 250. Ruffell also stated that every kid that came to her door was very polite and it was a good night all around.

Debbie West also noticed the dip in trick-or-treater volume this year. “We had about 100 kids. Glad I was prepared. I wore a mask when handing out candy. I was glad as it’s all for the kids, but I noticed it was less than last year,” said West.

Overall, it seemed to be a good Halloween in Burns Lake, albeit an unusual one for some.

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