Halloween Guide: Trick-or-Treating Hours, Safety Tips, Weather and More

We've got the scoop on trick-or-treating hours, safety tips and the weather forecast as your little ghouls and goblins count the hours until Halloween on Thursday.

Hours

Royal Oak, unlike many communities in Oakland County, does not have set  trick-or-treating hours, so use common sense. 

Safety tips

The Royal Oak Police and Fire Departments offer the following advice for all trick-or-treaters:

• Children should have all treats carefully inspected before eating.
• Children should accept treats only at the doorway.
• Never enter a strangers home.
• Never invite children to enter your home.
• Children should never accept rides from strangers.
• Children should never take short cuts through backyards or alley ways.
• Set a time limit for your children to be out on Halloween night.
• Children should travel in groups of 3-5 people.
• Adults should escort children while they trick-or-treat.
• Adult escorts and children should carry flashlights if possible.
• All fruit should be discarded unless you know the source is safe.
• Keep pets inside your home, or another safe place, on Halloween night.
• Children should walk and never run during trick-or-treating.
• Parents should know what route their children are taking within the neighborhood.
• All costumes should be made of light colored, fire-proof, preferably reflectorized material.
• Props such as toy guns or swords should be made of pliable material.
• Realistic replica firearms should NEVER be used.
• Masks should only be worn if they are properly fitted and provide unobstructed breathing and visibility.
• Children should always use sidewalks and not the streets for walking.
• Children should look in all directions before crossing the street.
• If you are driving, slow it down and watch out for kids.

Purchase a last minute pumpkin

• C & C Fruit & Flowers, 31786 Woodward Ave: "Monster" pumpkins are $25 and up. Cornstalks, hay bails, stacking pumpkins, gourds and more are also available. Mums are three for $17.99. Carving pumpkins are $6 and up.
• Dynamic Flowers, 3221 N. Main St.: Pumpkins are $4.50 and $8.50.
• English Gardens, 4901 Coolidge Hwy.: Pumpkins are $5.99 and $19.99. 
• Hollywood Market, 714 N. Main St.: Pumpkins are two for $10. Cornstalks and hay bales are also available.
• Woodward Home & Gardens, 33779 Woodward Ave: Stacking pumpkins, pie pumpkins and carving pumpkins are all available. There's gourds, cornstalks, pansies and mums, too. Stop by and pet Splash, the Yellow Labrador Retriever. Carving pumpkins range from $4 to $14.
• YMCA, 1016 W 11 Mile Rd: Small pumpkins are $2 each. Larger pumpkins range from $5 to $14.

Visit a haunted house

For the past 12 years, Charles Brandt has been offering a haunted attraction at 2344 Cummings in Berkley to raise money for charity. “Detroit Nightmare” is open Halloween night only, from 6-9:30 p.m., but freewill donations are encouraged to benefit Spirit of Children Foundation, whose gifts are aimed at taking some the scariness out hospital says for patients at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.

Donate your candy to the troops

Bright Side Dental participates in the "Halloween Candy Buyback" program. For every pound of unopened candy brought in, kids will be rewarded with a raffle ticket for a chance to win an amazing prize. Candy will be sent overseas to service members via Operation Gratitude. For more information visit www.brightsidedental.com.

Weather

The National Weather Service predicts Thursday will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and a high near 67 degrees.

[Click here for more Halloween content on Royal Oak Patch.]

Now all you need to decide is whether you'd prefer a trick or a treat!