MEMPHIS, Tennessee — Halloween will be here before you know it, and some events this year are spooking the Shelby County Health Department because of COVID-19.
The health department recently announced its list of safe activities, some of the top favorites like haunted houses and trick or treating were not permitted or recommended.
Theatre Memphis is still holding its trunk or treat event this month despite the Shelby County Health Department recommending against it. The theater company said they’ve taken every precaution.
This is the first trunk or treat at Theatre Memphis. Families get to interact with volunteer actors. But a list of guidelines released Tuesday by the SCHD recommends against trick or treating or trunk or treating.
“We had taken every precaution we were aware of, to begin with when we started it,” said Randall Hartzog, Theatre Memphis’ director of marketing. “When those regulations came out yesterday we had meetings yesterday as well as this morning to discuss were we following all the protocols.”
Theatre Memphis decided to keep the event – requiring all participants to wear masks and for people to sanitize before they enter.
“It’s outside, the cars are going to be parked at least 3 parking spaces apart,” shared Hartzog. “They will be controlled, each group before they can go to the next space.”
Organizers of another much-loved event – Zoo Boo – said it can serve as an alternative to trick or treating. Things will look different this year to follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines.
“The biggest part would be the candy stations, but what we’re doing now is as you exit we have premade treat bags that will be passed out to people,” said the Memphis Zoo’s Nick Harmeier.
This year’s Zoo Boo will be a walk-through experience with no hayride.
“We’re minimizing crowd capacity," said Harmeier. To buy tickets you have to buy them online and we’re only selling 3,000 tickets per event.”
Theatre Memphis’ trunk or treat event is held on October 31st.
The Memphis Zoo’s Zoo Boo runs 16-18th, 23-25th and 29-31st.