Target Parking Lots Will Host Drive-Thru Trick or Treating This Halloween

Though costume masks won’t protect against the coronavirus, experts say it can still be safe for kids to trick or treat this Halloween—as long as they wear surgical or two-ply cotton masks, avoid touching their faces, and minimize hand-to-hand contact with candy-wielding adults.

That said, it’s hard to know ahead of time whether every household you visit will take the same precautions, which might make parents reluctant to let their kids go door to door in the neighborhood. To help keep everyone safe, Target has announced the creation of an innovative trick or treating celebration with lots of candy and no contact at all. This Halloween, Target parking lots around the country will become “Boo Avenues,” where little witches, clowns, and plague doctors can trick or treat from free-standing sweets stations—without leaving the car. The stations will be festively decorated as pumpkins, robots, skeletons, and unicorns; and judging from the image below, Target employees will be decked out in Halloween finery, too. According to a press release, you can also expect “costumed cars” and “scary-fun activities.”

“At Target, we’re all about bringing joy to our guests’ everyday lives, and now, more than ever, those little moments of pure fun matter big time,” Rick Gomez, Target executive vice president and chief marketing and digital officer, said in the press release. “That’s exactly why we created Boo Avenue, a fun way for families to celebrate Halloween safely while enjoying time together.”

Boo Avenue will be open at select Target locations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 31. Check to see if your go-to Target is participating here.