Kids who love Halloween and live in Riverview, Florida, can rejoice. It seems the adults love it, every bit as much.
Since 1988, the community has pulled together to put on an amazing Halloween event called the Trick or Treat Street. The event, held on a Saturday in late October, is sponsored jointly by the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation, and Riverview High School. The free event is held at the high school. Parking costs $5, and some activities require a donation.
The annual event has the goal of providing a safe place for all kids to have fun and participate in the tradition of trick-or-treating. At the same time, event sponsors aim to introduce the families to local businesses, organizations, and churches that the families might not be familiar with. It’s a win-win for everyone: kids have fun, parents know their kids are having fun (and are safe), and local businesses have a crowd of potential customers walking by to discover new services, such as tutoring in Riverview.
In recent years, up to 5,000 kids have attended the event. Counting family members, attendance can reach10,000. Staff from about 100 local businesses decorate booths, dress up in costumes, and hand out candy and small toys. There are bounce houses, food trucks, and contests to enjoy. Kids who work with a Riverview tutor will have a head start on homework and more time to have fun at the street fair.
One of the top draws each year is a haunted house called the “scare zone.” Also popular are the numerous inflatable rides. Kids can buy a bracelet that gives them unlimited access to the bounce houses and inflatable rides or that can be exchanged for game tickets.
Attendees also have a chance to win prizes based on their costumes. Costume contests are broken down by age: ages three and under, ages four to seven, ages eight to eleven, and ages twelve to fifteen. Kids aren’t the only ones who get to dress up. Dogs get to have some fun, too. The entry fees to the pet costume contest benefit a pet adoption and rescue non-profit organization. Booths, too, have their chance in the spotlight as they vie for top decorating honors.
The event gives Riverview High School students a fun way to volunteer. Some of the clubs that have helped out in past years are Freshman Steering, the Unleashed Dance Team, AVID, Key Club, and SWATT. All participating clubs bring candy—and have fun!