Downtown trick-or-treat to kick off Halloween activity

The 2012 Halloween trick-or-treat schedule for Putnam County looks heavy on treats and low on tricks.

The annual downtown Greencastle trick-or-treat event, sponsored by the Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce for the first time this year, will kick off local festivities from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31 on the courthouse square.

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

Meanwhile, individual Putnam County communities have established trick-or-treat hours for Halloween 2012.

All community trick-or-treat hours limit such activity to just the night of the holiday itself on Wednesday, Oct. 31.

Specified community trick-or-treat hours are:

-- Greencastle -- 4-8 p.m. (starting at 4 p.m. this year to coincide with the downtown event).

-- Fillmore -- 5-8 p.m.

-- Cloverdale -- 6-8 p.m.

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

-- Roachdale -- 7-9 p.m.

-- Russellville -- 6-8 p.m.

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.