Batesville youth will trick-or-treat Sunday night, Oct. 31, marking Halloween with the traditional practice of going door-to-door hoping for sweet treats.

“We want all the children of Batesville to enjoy their trick-or-treating like every other year, and we ask that parents pay attention to normal safety precautions,” said Mayor Hal Ferrell. “There haven’t been any problems the last few years during Halloween trick-or-treating and we don’t expect any this year either.”

Most of the community Halloween and fall festival events are scheduled for Saturday, although many churches and groups had their celebrations last Saturday. Some of those events are included in this week’s Community Calendar on the inside pages of this edition.

The popular Scare on the Square event put on by the Main Street Program each year will start at 10 a.m. Saturday with dozens of merchants and civic clubs providing candy, toys, and gifts with booths for drawings, face painting, and more.

A best costume contest divided into several age groups is the highlight of Scare on the Square, and Main Street will start the judging at the stage area at 11:30 a.m. There will be prizes in several age categories and for whole family costumes.

Mamie Avery, director of Main Street, said this year’s event is especially exciting because the 2020 Scare on the Square was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Chief of Police Kerry Pittman said police officers have already made plans for extra patrols for Saturday night, and also for Halloween on Sunday.

“We know there will be lots of children going from house-to-house and the major concern is always for the safety of pedestrians, especially after dark when drivers can’t always see the children walking in streets,” Pittman said. “Sometimes parents and children are walking and talking and may not be paying close enough attention to traffic, so drivers really need to pay special attention in our busiest neighborhoods that night.”

“We want everyone to enjoy themselves and be safe, but also to know that Batesville police officers will be watching and we won’t allow any type of vandalism or anything that damages property, or puts other people in danger,” Pittman said.

Police know that some teens will use toilet paper to roll lawns and such, but egg throwing or any other disruptive behavior, will not be tolerated, he said.

The City of Batesville has a standing curfew for each Oct. 31 that runs from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next morning. On Halloween night, no minor children are allowed on public streets or property unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Those 18 years and older are not constrained by the ordinance.

“I hope to see the Square full of families and children Saturday morning, and hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend,” Ferrell said.