Agenda

Return

18.

City Council Regular Meeting

Meeting Date:

09/06/2022

BACKGROUND

Trunk-or-Treat was an event that started at Fire Station #1 many years ago where local children could come by the Fire Station as a safe alternative to traditional trick-or-treating. In 2017 Schertz Fire Rescue staff teamed up with Schertz Parks & Recreation staff, the Schertz Family YMCA, and local businesses, to create a larger and more involved event that drew thousands of visitors. The last few years it was held in this fashion it drew such large crowds - folks from a lot of cities in the area that it detracted from the event - despite trying different things, folks spent a lot of time standing in long lines for a piece of candy.

In 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the decision was made to cancel Trunk-or-Treat and go to a drive-thru candy event, called the Candy Cruise. Due to another COVID surge in 2021, Trunk-or-Treat did not return in its original format, and city staff again hosted the Candy Cruise. While the Candy Cruise was successful, it was so successful it created traffic issues around town and the need for additional police officer presence to manage the traffic. At previous council retreats over 2022 staff and council had discussions to consider retiring the Trunk-or-Treat and Candy Cruise iterations of the event and go back to the hometown feel of the original Trunk-or-Treat.

Thus, Trunk or Treat at the Station is the new name of the event, and it will be a smaller, more local affair, at each individual Fire Station. The event is back on Halloween night where it started, and will cater to the neighborhoods surrounding the stations, and promote that community feel similar to National Night Out. Moving it back to Halloween night also avoids any future conflicts with the Remax Skylight Balloon Fest (though we have been able to avoid that the last few years, it was on the same weekend for a couple of years.) Schertz Fire Rescue, under the leadership of Chief Rodgers, will be the lead on planning the event each year and the plan is to invite council members to join Fire Rescue staff at each station and help hand out candy to the community youth.

Attachments
Trunk or Treat at the Station flyer