Halloween spirit still strong this year despite pandemic

Photo courtesy of Phil George
Halloween celebrations will look a bit different this year, but Tonganoxie still will be offering ways to celebrate while socially distancing and following pandemic recommendations.
Tonganoxie Christian Church and Tonganoxie United Methodist Church will have Trunk or Treat celebrations for local youths on Halloween this Saturday.
TCC will have its event 4-6 p.m. in the Christian Church parking lot, 204 Washington St. TCC volunteers will offer a drive-through, no-contact event.
At TUMC, 328 E. Fourth St., volunteers will decorate trunks of their cars and wear costumes like any other Trunk-or-Treat, but with pandemic precautions. The event will be 5-6:30 p.m. with cars spread out and volunteers wearing masks and gloves while giving out candy. Organizers also will be controlling the direction of foot traffic.
McLouth and Linwood have some events planned as well, whether Friday or Saturday. More about those activities can be found in Linwood News and McLouth Happenings on page 3A.
For those in the mood for other no-contact entertainment, Phil and Tara George will be offering a Halloween-themed light display at their home in the Jackson Heights subdivision in Tonganoxie.
Visitors can pull up by the home near Parallel Road and North Oak Street Terrace and tune their vehicle radios to 100.7. They can watch shows while listening to nine different songs 7-9 p.m. Friday and 7-10 p.m. Saturday. The display consists of some 3,200 LED lights, including 1,200 on a 4-foot-by-8-foot screen. Phil said he’s been working on the show since last December and has received plenty of support from neighbors helping with ladders and electrical work and even helping hang some of the lights. The house also is just down the street from neighbor Brandon Masur, whose Christmas light show last year garnered regional attention when his display transitioned to a Chiefs’ playoff run light show.
Phil said he’ll be following up the Halloween show with a Christmas one starting the day before Thanksgiving.
- Photo courtesy of Phil George