Through the lens: How thousands of Columbus families got Halloween experience during COVID-19

Thousands of Columbus residents didn’t miss out on their candy hauls this year, despite the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

With their car trunks ajar, attendees drove through a maze of spooky displays and racked up their candy hauls. Volunteers threw sweets and treats into their open trunks. Mist machines, music, food trucks and plenty of cobwebs added to the festivity.

Many families are wary of trick-or-treating this year due to COVID-19 safety concerns. In lieu of a traditional door-to-door trick or treat, the city found a creative solution in its Spooktacular event at the Columbus Civic Center parking lot Sunday evening.

“Instead of opening up the building, we’re opening up the parking lot,” said event coordinator Nixon Patterson. “It’s really thinking outside of the box.”

City employees, local business owners and nearly 100 volunteers came together to create Spooktacular. City departments and community partners decked out tents with spooky decor and donned costumes to hand out candy.

“I’ve never seen anything like this at the Civic Center,” said city manager Isaiah Hugley.

As cars approached Columbus METRA Transit’s display, screams sounded out as kids caught sight of a very realistic Freddie Kruger. Ian Trowers donned a gruesome mask and fake razor hand gloves for his impersonation of the “Nightmare on Elm Street” character. As he tossed candy in passing trunks, he told the Ledger-Enquirer that kids who saw him had been screaming and rolling up their car windows all night.

“A few tried to just run out of the car,” he said with a chuckle.

Behind the smiles and sweets, a competitive spirit lurked among those who staged the displays.

The Columbus Fire Department went above and beyond — literally — by mounting a ghoul atop a fire truck’s cherry picker. Firefighter Blake Whittman decided to decorate the engine out-of-pocket to ensure they’d beat the competition.

“Our display is the best, 100 percent,” said Captain Kevin Alfred.

Many trunk-or-treaters had long been resigned to a nontraditional Halloween.

“Unfortunately, we were expecting something like this,” said Brooke Farrow. “It had all the Halloween festivity to it, though.”

Kadence Parker seemed happy just to get the candy.

“COVID has taken a mental, physical, emotional toll on everybody. And if we can put a smile on people’s faces if just for that one moment, we did something right,” Patterson said. “And that’s what motivates me to come in here and put this event on as strong as we can.

“Seeing these kids smile tomorrow, it’s going to make a lot of our days. It’s well worth it when it’s said and done.”

Those handing out candy wore protective masks, as did many of the trunk or treaters. Social distancing was encouraged at the event. All attendees were asked to stay in their cars the entire time.

Shane and Angela Koze said the Spooktacular was the second trunk-or-treat they’d been to Sunday. That morning, they went to an event at their church and hoped to hit a few more before Halloween.

“As long as they get to wear their costumes, they’re okay with it,” said Shane Koze. In the backseat, Batman and Robin, also known as Jackson Koze, 9, and Jayden-Ethan Koze, 6, discussed how they’d sort out their candy later.

Event planners expected the night to draw in 2,000 to 3,000 people, said event coordinator Nixon Patterson. Cars lined up on 4th Street well before the event started.

But even as cars began filing into the Civic Center parking lot, the wait did not lessen. Jarquores Nelson said he’d been waiting in line for an hour. For Nelson and the trio of princesses in the backseat, the city’s trunk-or-treat will be their main Halloween event of the season.

As the night wore on, some attendees took to Facebook to complain about wait times. Many reported about a 30 to 40 minute wait time. Toward the end of the night, several commenters said they waited for several hours only to be turned away when they got to the start of the line.

Bridgett and Reagan Markwood, a mother-daughter duo, bounced from car to car with smiles plastered on their faces, even under the masks. They didn’t think they’d get to hand out out candy this year.

“We’re having a blast,” Bridgett Markwood said, “since we can’t do the candy at our house this year.”

A motley cast of asylum characters handed out sweets — and topical humor — at a Parks and Recreation tent.

“Are you ready for your vaccine?” Melinda Hall called out as she did her best to leer into a car window. She carried an oversized toy syringe loaded with neon goo.

Two patients, Kristell Johnson and Diane Giles, and a doctor, Allen Cameron, rounded out the crew of pranksters. Cameron says their coronavirus bits earned them laughs throughout the evening.

Hall, Giles, and Cameron are art instructors at Britt David Studios and lent their display a creative touch. Crows and spiders hung from cobwebs against a backdrop of stone wall and gravestones.

Event planners say they hope to continue the trunk-or-treat in years to come.

“I don’t know how we could do away with it after this,” said Hugley as he waved to a passing car.

This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 8:00 AM.