Downtown trick-or-treat to kick off Halloween activity

The 2015 Halloween trick-or-treat schedule for Putnam County looks heavy on treats and light on tricks.

The annual downtown Greencastle trick-or-treat event, sponsored by the Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce, will kick off local festivities on the courthouse square from 4-6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 30.

Local businesses and offices will welcome costumed trick-or-treaters during that two-hour timeframe. The Chamber has asked for businesses that regularly close at 5 p.m. to stay open the extra hour if possible on Friday to accommodate the Halloweeners who invade the downtown.

The third annual trunk-or-treat event, conducted by local law enforcement and firefighters, will be staged during the 4-6 p.m. downtown event on Friday, Oct. 30 along Indiana Street in front of the Greencastle Fire Station.

Putnam County Girl Scouts all also stage their annual Tent or Treat event on Friday, Oct. 30 from 5-7 p.m. near the bandshell in Robe-Ann Park.

Meanwhile, individual Putnam County communities have established trick-or-treat hours for Halloween.

Except for the downtown event, all community trick-or-treat hours will limit such activity to just the night of the holiday itself on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Specified community trick-or-treat hours on Saturday, Oct. 31 are:

-- Greencastle -- 5-8 p.m.

-- Cloverdale -- 5:30-8 p.m.

-- Fillmore -- 6-8 p.m.

-- Bainbridge -- 6-8 p.m.

-- Roachdale -- 6-8 p.m.

-- Russellville -- N/A

As is the custom locally, residents welcoming trick-or-treaters are urged to turn on their porch light during the appropriate period. Likewise, revelers are asked to skip homes that do not have their outside light illuminated.