Instead of going house-to-house, at this local event, little ghosts and goblins can go trunk-to-trunk. The 7th Annual Trunk or Treat event took place Saturday afternoon at the Orillia Fairgrounds, where it was lined with not only dressed up people, but dressed up cars. Trick-or-treaters wandered around a flat, open field and went trunk hopping to collect candy. The parked vehicles were decked out in various themes like Sesame Street, Super Mario Brothers and the Wizard of Oz, with many participants’ decorations often extending outside of their vehicle. Will Spear with Simcoe Lawn and Garden Services, one of the trunkers on site, says he and his wife have been coming to the event for three or four years. Their vehicle was decorated with a Pokémon theme, something Spear has been a fan of since it came out in the ‘90s. He says not only do the kids love it but for the parents, it’s nostalgic. “Just love Pokémon, love to spread the cheer,” says Spear. “When we heard of this event, we just couldn’t say no.” Much of their booth is made up of handmade pieces like stands for kids to put their faces in where they can pretend to be the characters, Pokémon-themed carved pumpkins and Pokémon-style paintings. Event Organizer Derick Lehmann tells CTV News the feedback he receives from parents is they’re thrilled to get to take their kids to a safe Halloween event in the daytime. “It’s just so family-friendly. It’s so enjoyable, it’s so easy,” says Hanna Wickstrom, one of the parents, attending the event with her family. “You can actually see the costumes in the daylight which is pretty wonderful. And great to just see families out having a good time.” Lehmann says the kids love it since they get to go trick-or-treating twice. What started back during the COVID pandemic with around 25 cars and 300 kids, has since grown and evolved over the years. The initial inspiration came from church and school groups doing similar-type events. Now, roughly 120 trucks participated in the festivities with more than 2,000 kids coming through the fairgrounds. That doesn’t mean every vehicle needs to bring 2,000 pieces of candy though, but they’re required to have enough for 400 kids. That way, there’s enough to go around. Lehmann says there are many returning “trunkers” year after year. Treat Accessibly The event also holds a special designation - it’s fully accessible. “We’re super excited – we’re actually one of 10 treat accessible villages from across Canada,” says Lehmann. That means it’s not only physically accessible but psychologically accessible too. The grounds are a wide open, flat field with no ramps or stairs, making it wheelchair accessible. Kids can also choose the trunks where they make a trick-or-treating stop. Lehmann says not every child is comfortable approaching a scary or loud trunk, so they can pick or choose. For children who are non-verbal, they don’t have to say “trick-or-treat” to receive candy. The volunteer-run event is also financially accessible with a pay-what-you-want system. There’s an option to donate, where money raised will go to the Orillia Youth Centre, but no obligation. Trunk or Treat has already donated $3,000 to the youth centre. For people who want to advertise their house as a Treat Accessibly house on Halloween, they can pick up a sign at the REMAX booth. REMAX Right Move in Orillia is one of 10 brokerages chosen by REMAX Canada to promote Treat Accessibly. “We just want to make sure all kids are included and have access to those yummy treats. We’re just raising awareness and we’re handing out signs and then this way, people know that your house is accessible,” Josie Gullusci, real estate agent with REMAX.
