PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The trick-or-treaters were back Monday night after the pandemic kept holiday activities to a minimum the past few years. But with dark, rainy streets, safety was also top of mind.
From dogs and dinosaurs to ET and bumblebees, all the costumes were out and it was a soggy but happy return to trick-or-treating on Halloween in Portland. Hundreds of kids and parents braved the rain for an early shot at candy at Multnomah Village and some had the perfect costume accessories, like one Mary Poppins-themed family and their umbrella, thankful for a safer event in the daylight.
“I really like the earlier trick-or-treating time for sure, especially now that it’s getting darker earlier. There are still cars, but there’s still lots of people,” said Brooke, dressed as Mary Poppins and attending the event with her family. “I think they’re an integral part of the safety of this holiday right now.”
The Multnomah Village trick-or-treating event also had volunteer crossing guards at intersections, helping direct cars and families. Local business owners said while it was a welcomed sight back, they were also thankful for the safety precautions.
“In this community, Multnomah Village, in particular, we’ve got a lot of people controlling the traffic, but I’ve noticed a lot of kids this year, they’ve got lights, they’ve got lightsabers, light wands,” said Andrew Kvistad, owner of Village Coffee.
He added that despite stocking up on candy, the attendees were out in full-force and he ran out. “It’s really been uplifting and fun to see everybody out.”
Beyond organized events like Multnomah Village and trunk-or-treats, others still went with the traditional door-to-door visits for candy.
With more people expected to be out in the rain, it’s harder to see and harder to stop, police said.
“With COVID being less of a concern, I think there are a lot of people that were hesitant to go out before that are going to be out tonight,” said Sgt. Kevin Allen with the Portland Police Bureau. “Take it extra slow and be aware at any point you might have a little ghost that hops out in front of your car.”
Since the night was rainy, police also asked drivers to keep an eye out for adults walking around who continue the holiday celebrations into the wee hours.
“We’re finding long lines at the nightclubs downtown and on a holiday like this, we certainly expect that to be the case as well,” said Sgt. Allen. “The advice we give for trick-or-treaters is the advice we give to anybody who’s going to a Halloween party or maybe wants to go out and have some fun at a bar.”
PPB did not report any crashes involving trick-or-treaters or other pedestrians on Halloween night.