For years, hundreds of costumed children walking around the Carthage Square in search of treats has slowed vehicle traffic to a crawl from about 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Halloween day.
Carthage Police Chief Greg Dagnan said he and city officials have debated for the past few years whether to close the Square to prevent a possible accident.
This year, he decided it was time, so between 3:30 p.m. and when the number of walkers starts to thin out, around 5 p.m., barricades will go up at the four corners of the Square, and vehicles will be prohibited from coming up on the Square.
“I watched a car try to cross the Square last year, and it looked like the car was trying to cross in front of the food tents at Marian Days,” Dagnan said, referring to the Vietnamese Catholic festival that brings tens of thousands of people to Carthage in August. “In the past our guys have stood at the corners, and they do it for the kids’ safety, but this year, we decided just to close it. We’ll leave it flexible, officers will have the discretion to close the streets anytime after 3:30 p.m. when the traffic gets really heavy.”
Treats on the Square has become a tradition for kids who dressed up for Halloween at school. Many come straight from school to the Square to collect candy from people stationed in front of the businesses with bowls of sweet treats.
The parade continues until around 5 p.m., then it moves to another part of Carthage.
Historic Homes District
After they’re done on the Square, many Trick or Treaters head to another of Carthage’s historic district, the Historic Homes District on Grand Avenue and Main Street south of the Square.
Dagnan said Grand and Main from Macon Street on the north to Centennial Avenue on the south will be closed starting around 4 p.m. until around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. so the costumed kids can troll for candy there in safety.
This closure is not new — Grand and Main have been closed to traffic on Halloween for years, and many residents make it a family event to hand out candy to what becomes a massive influx of children.
Some families say keeping enough candy on hand can be expensive, but it’s also fun to see the kids having a good time.
Again, Dagnan said officers will have discretion to reopen the streets when they feel the crowd has thinned out to the point where it is safe.
