Yorkville business, city officials working on safe trick-or-treating guidelines amid pandemic

YORKVILLE – Yorkville business and city officials are cautiously optimistic about trick-or-treating happening in some fashion this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yorkville City Administrator Bart Olson said Thursday officials aren't sure what general trick-or-treating is going to look like within city limits. He said they're still waiting on more Illinois Department of Public Health guidelines before announcing more details to residents.

However, Olson said he knows business trick-or-treating events within the city are still happening in some fashion. He said city and Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce officials are working with local health officials in planning those.

“We’re trying to work out the logistics of those first,” Olson said.

Once those event expectations are more solidified, Olson said, then the city is going to pivot and take a look at general trick-or-treating in the city. Typically, trick-or-treating hours have been between 3 p.m. or 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., depending on the year, he said.

Sherri Farley, executive director for the Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce, said Friday that, for now, the annual Biz Boo business trick-or-treating event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 24 within the city and organized by both the chamber and the Yorkville parks and recreation department. She said she was initially on the fence about even holding the event this year, but there ended up being a surprising number of businesses who were still showing interest in trying to make something happen, despite the pandemic.

“So we decided, okay, if businesses and people want it, we will hold something that will give them a choice on what they want to do,“ Farley said.

Farley said she is not expecting higher concentrations of businesses without storefronts gathering in one place like they have in years' past, per health and safety guidelines. She said the plan is to encourage social distancing with participating business owners and patrons and event organizers are hoping for good weather so businesses can set up shop outside of their store fronts.

Farley said about 100 businesses typically participate in the annual event, but she's expecting the event to be a little more scaled back, per IDPH and CDC guidelines. She said event organizers fully expect businesses and patrons to adhere to those guidelines and to still wear masks in businesses that require them on any other day.

Farley said business and city officials wanted to give the opportunity for people to participate if they feel they can do so safely.

“A little creativity will go a long way and I think that we can still have an event that is fun and safe for families,” Farley said.

Like anything this year, Farley said, the event is still subject to change pending the region's or state's COVID-19 case numbers status.

Farley said more information about Biz Boo – along with accompanying truck and scarecrow decorating events – is available on the chamber's website, yorkvillechamber.org.