The Village of Oswego would like to remind residents that official trick-or-treating hours in the Village are from 3:30 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31, 2021, and encourage parents to make sure that their children are only trick-or-treating during those hours and taking other safety precautions.

Parents can also take a few simple steps to ensure children’s safety this Halloween:

• Make sure that any masks do not block children’s vision both in front and to each side.
• If you are trick-or-treating after dark, use reflective tape on costumes and carry a flashlight.
• Young children should be accompanied by a responsible adult while trick-or-treating.
• Know the routes that older, unaccompanied children are planning to take and set a time for them to be home. Children should go out in groups rather than by themselves.
• Review treats collected by your children. Tampering with Halloween treats is exceptionally rare, but if any treats show signs of possible tampering, call the Oswego Police Department.

In addition, residents are reminded to take additional precautions relative to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

• Do not participate in trick-or-treating if you or a household member are sick.
• Wear an appropriate face mask when in close contact with others. Face masks that are a part of Halloween costumes are not effective against viral spread the way regular cloth or surgical face masks are.
• As always, do not visit homes that are not participating in trick-or-treating. Residents should turn their porch light on if they are participating, and off if they are not.