Halloween

goal, which is that we want ourcommunity members to be safe,” Decatur CityManagerAndreaArnoldsaid.“We also recognize that there’s a balance between making sure that people are safe due to COVID- 19 but also that ( Halloween) is an event that a lot of people look forward to.”

Large gatherings, such as Decatur’s annual Haints & Saints parade, have been canceled in favor of decorating contests and drive- thru events. Arnold said it became clear roughly a month ago that traditional Halloween events were not going to be safe this year.

However, she said some form of holiday activities are warranted to raise morale.

“There’s a mental health perspective,” Arnold said. “So much has been canceled this year, and I think that really weighs on people, so we want people to find a way to enjoy the holiday. We believe people can do it in a safe way.”

While the city is discouraging events that lead to large gatherings, Arnold saidmany community members are finding creative solutions. She said some residents are creating homemade candy chutes to get candy to childrenwhotrickor- treat, while someneighborhoods are setting up trick- or- treat time slots for age groups to lessen the number of people on the streets at once.

Avondale Estates, which usually prides itself on large Halloween events, has taken a stricter approach by canceling trick- or- treating and dissuading its residents from participating. The only event the city kept is itsHalloween Spirit Award contest, which is being judged virtually.

“It stinks,” Avondale Estates Mayor Jonathan Elmore previously said. “We are not endorsing or condoning Halloween activities. We do notwant it to be a superspreader event. We just want to keep people safe.”

Doraville, Dunwoody, Stone Mountain and other cities have shifted gears and are using vehicle- focused events to promote social distancing. The cities are having their own version of a truckortreat event, which features a drive- thru where candy is handedout directlytopeople in their cars. The CDC also lists these type of events as a higher- risk activity.

“The goal is to give parents and children an alternative so they don’t feel the need to go out and knock on people’s doors,” Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman said, describing his city’s drive- thru event. “By announcing that the city is also accepting donations of candy, we’re also giving residentswhowant to give out treats away to participate in Halloween without having to open their door formultiple groups of children.”

Dunwoody’s “Halloween Spooktacular Drive- Thru” is a joint event between the city and its police department. It’s a replacement for the city’s typicalHalloween celebration on the last Thursday ofOctober, which is alsoDunwoody’s final “Food Truck Thursday,” Dunwoody Recreation Supervisor Rachel Waldron said.

“There was no way to do that safely,” she said. “We didn’t want to limit what is normally a huge event, so we decided that we’ll do what we can, put it in a car and be safe.”