Trick or Treat on the trail Oct. 26

Area residents can enjoy an early brush with Halloween at Trick or Treat on the Trail.
This year’s event is slated from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 26 at Evergreen Cemetery. The event is being overseen by Melinda Smits, who stepped back into the role after a hiatus.
“I did the event for around four years, and then I took the last few years off because I wasn’t on the Red Oak Trails Board anymore. Jamie Werges just had her babies, so she asked me if I would be in charge of it one more time, since she’s being a mom this year,” Smits said.
For those who have attended the event in the past, the trail walk will be of a similar format this year.
“We have some new businesses that are participating, so whatever they decorate with or hand out will be new, but we’ll be following the same format,” Smits said.
Smits also said that the weather forecast for Halloween wasn’t promising, but if it were bad, they had a contingency.
“The weather’s not looking great as of right now, but a lot can change. If it’s very wet and rainy, or extra cold, we’ll hold the event at the Montgomery County Family YMCA at 101 E. Cherry St. at the same time,” advised Smits.
If any businesses are interested in taking part in this year’s event, Smits said there are still spots available.
“We take businesses almost all the way up until the event, because we want to get the maps done so people know where they are going. The sooner they let me know, the better, but we pretty much let anybody join at any point, even if they’re not on the map, they can set up anywhere. We want to encourage anyone who wants to participate to do so.”
Smits said there are several things she and members of the Red Oak Trails group enjoy about hosting the event.
“We love seeing the community coming together. The smiles on the faces of not just the kids, but the business representatives. I have businesses that every time we ask if they want to participate, they’re an emphatic yes and comment on how much they love the event. It spreads a lot of joy in the community,” explained Smits. “It also gets people out on the trail. For some people, it’s their only time they’re on the trail. It gets them out there and allows them to see what’s new. We’ve added a new parking lot and some shortcuts, so they can get a chance to see those new things being added, and hopefully encourages them to go on the trail on another day.”
Smits shared the route for families and trick or treaters to follow when participating.
“It starts at the south gates of the cemetery. They head east through the cemetery and then all the way up the trail, through the apple orchard, before heading down going west. They go back into the cemetery on Eighth Street; we have police set-up there to make it a safe re-entry back into the cemetery, and then they end at the south cemetery gate,” Smits stated. “They can park at the Red Oak Junior/Senior  High School or Inman Elementary. There are a lot of parking spaces available.”
Smits praised the Red Oak Fire Department and Red Oak Police Department for their presence during the event and assisting with traffic control, and expressed her appreciation to everyone who helped make the event a success very year, from the participants to the area businesses.