Will Halloween be sweet in East County?

To trick or treat, or not to trick or treat?

That is the question.

Should East County residents sit out Halloween this year, or make the holiday feel as close to a small slice of normal as is possible in 2020? Families, neighborhoods and organizations have been grappling with this question for weeks or even months. They’ve arrived at different answers.

John Freeman, a Greenbrook resident and the treasurer of Lakewood Ranch Community Development District 4, said many Greenbrook residents are communicating via social media to see how many people are trick-or-treating and which houses are offering candy. Greenbrook hasn’t established any trick-or-treating policies, but Freeman said some people will package treats individually or spread them out on an outdoor table to limit common touch points.

Serenity Creek resident Lindsay Rushmore said her family will trick or treat and pass out treats. She has heard nothing from the community itself but thinks the night will be business as usual based on conversations she’s had with a few neighbors. As always, her family will respect houses that indicate they are not participating by keeping their lights off.

This isn’t necessarily the case in every community, however. Rushmore said some of her friends in other neighborhoods are being told by their HOAs not to trick or treat. Summerfield resident Justin Hall and his family will wait until Halloween evening and make a game-time decision. They have costumes on standby just in case, and they will package treats individually before handing them out.

“It all depends on what everyone else is doing,” Hall said. “I don’t want to be the only one out there looking crazy.”

Parents might be more comfortable attending organized events. Nathan Benderson Park, the Mall at UTC and Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch (which capped its event at 250 people) have designed their trick-or-treating events with safety in mind.

Other Halloween events also are still on the schedule, although with different looks than years past.

Jennifer Tullio, race director of the 17th annual Boo Run on Oct. 31, thought she was going to cancel the 5K run/walk until about a month ago. But Fit2Run, a company that organizes and manages running events, approached her and said it knew how to make the race safe.

The key was a venue change. Normally, the race is held on Lakewood Main Street. This year, it will be moved to Nathan Benderson Park for a 7:45 a.m. start and staggered starts for groups of 25 runners. There is also a virtual race option.

Tullio is optimistic people will participate in a race that generates funding and awareness for the Another Day for Gray Foundation, which is dedicated to finding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Her son, Grayson has Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

“There's always this big adrenaline rush as we get closer to race day for myself and my son, because it's a day he gets to be a celebrity,” Tullio said. “The thought of not having it when we talked about it several months back, he was just crushed. So to be able to raise more money for his charity to put that smile on his face and get people out in the fresh air, having a good time, just means the world to me.”

Anyone who wants more information or to participate can sign up at www.boorun.com.