City of South Milwaukee announces trick-or-treating will go on amid pandemic

SOUTH MILWAUKEE, Wis. (CBS 58) -- At least one city in the Milwaukee area has announced Halloween festivities will go on this year following a summer filled with cancellations.

Officials in South Milwaukee announced on Thursday, Sept. 10 that trick-or-treating will be allowed in the city on Oct. 31.

"We've made trick-or-treating and Halloween a bit more special for a while here. We'll continue to do that in 2020," said Mayor Erik Brooks. "I think it'll be very popular, and I hope it is a chance for people to get out following the summer where there weren't a lot of events."

Brooks said the announcement comes after an OK from the South Milwaukee/St. Francis Health Department.

"When that green light came is when that decision came to me. It's all about can we do it safely? And we think we can," he said.

Families who live in South Milwaukee were excited to hear the news.

"We're just going to go trick-or-treating, take the family around do it safely as possible, but make sure the kids have an experience. It's a huge holiday in our family, so missing out on it would be terrible," Brandon Seeger said.

The city plans to have its normal trick-or-treating hours on Halloween. Brooks is encouraging masks and social distancing, and said local health officials will issue guidance soon.

"If everything is sealed -- the candy or the pencils or the McDonald's certificates that we used to give out -- I think the kids should be able to come out and have a little bit of fun. They're not in school yet. They're not seeing their classmates so this would be a good time for them to have a little bit of interaction," said Kristine Pluskota, who lives in nearby St. Francis.

Meanwhile in Milwaukee, will there be trick-or-treating?

"Well, that is, I'd say, the hundred million dollar question and I don't have the answer to it," said Mayor Tom Barrett during a city-county briefing on Thursday.

Barrett said he's glad to see the percentage positive rate has dropped below 5 percent but the city has not made a decision.

"I understand the importance of this holiday, but I think we should make sure that we're doing it right and I think: give us a little bit of time," Barrett said.

And while many details are still up in the air, some families are already thinking about what to wear.

"Last year, we went as the group from Hocus Pocus. This year we might go as the Flintstones because we've got a little girl and a little boy, so it's still up in the air yet. We're still trying to decide," Seeger said.