By NICK McCOY
Tiger Media Network
With Halloween just one week away, students and residents may wonder what the city of Hays has to offer in terms of trick-or-treating and other Halloween activities. One of the many events to look forward to is the annual Trunk or Treat, taking place in Lewis Field Stadium on Saturday, during Fort Hays’ football game against Missouri Southern State University.
Organized by the FHSU Student Government Organization, the event allows organizations, students, and Hays residents to park their cars and hand out candy.
“This year, we’ll have room for six cars to decorate and hand out their own treats,” said SGA Public Relations Director Brenna Schwien. “We’ll have kids come during halftime of the football game. If they’re wearing costumes, they’ll get free admission.”
As an event the SGA tries to put on every year, the Trunk or Treat has seen changes and unfortunate setbacks. This year, the construction at Lewis Field has changed how the event looks.
“We weren’t able to have a full trunk or treat last year due to weather,” Schwien said. “And in past years, we’ve been able to have more trunks thanks to no construction. If we have more than six trunks signed up, we’ll have tables instead. So we’re not limited to six, we just won’t have six cars.”
Being an outdoor event, weather is a significant concern for the event, and something the SGA has dealt with in the past when hosting Trunk or Treat.
“We’re at a stage where it could be really warm one day and really cold the next,” Schwien said. “This week, we’ve been seeing cooler temperatures, so we’re just hoping it’s not freezing cold.”
Current forecasted conditions for Saturday are mostly cloudy skies and a high temperature of 67 degrees.
Even with concerns regarding variables such as weather, Trunk or Treat is still a worthwhile event to attend. A big part of that is how it connects the city and school of Hays, as explained by Schwien.
“It’s a great bridge to connect our community and our campus,” she said. “A lot of our entities providing trunks are Fort Hays organizations, so it gives them a way to connect with our community. It also allows students to engage more with organizations and community members.”
Schwien expresses high hopes for this weekend’s event and explains why students and residents should attend.
“For one thing, it’s really fun,” Schwien said. “All of our faculty will be in costume and have decorated trunks. It’s a great way to get into the Halloween spirit, to showcase your organization and support the student government.”
SGA’s trunk or treat is not the only Halloween event students and community members can look forward to. Another on-campus event is Safe Trick or Treat in the Residence Halls on Thursday. The Hays Symphony will host its Halloween concert on Sunday. City of Hays events include the Trick or Treat on the Bricks in Downtown Hays from 3-5:00 p.m. and Trick or Treat at Homestead of Hays Assisted Living from 6-7:00 p.m. Both events will take place on Halloween Day.