Trunk or Treat

It’s like trick-or-treating, but it’s within a set area, usually a parking lot, and it involves children going between decorated vehicles instead of homes. It’s called trunk-to-trunk treating, or trunk or treat, or some variation of this, because the vehicle trunks are generally opened up and decorated, with vehicle owners sitting nearby - often also in costume to fit the theme of their vehicle’s trunk - to hand out candy. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a car with a trunk. It might be an SUV with the back hatch open or a truck bed backed up and decorated - which often works better.
Trunk-or-treating events began some years ago and are often sponsored by area churches, schools, or non-profit organizations as a way to make trick-or-treating safer and to create a fun Halloween-themed event for the entire family.
In Merrill, several area churches held trunk-or-treating events this year, including St. Stephens Church, with their event being held on Halloween Day, and Trinity Lutheran Church, with their event being held the Saturday before on Oct. 26, 2024.
Trinity reportedly had a turnout of more than 1,000 people who came to their church parking lot on the corner of W. Main St. and State S. in Merrill, to either volunteer or enjoy the day. Volunteers created 29 car/trunk displays and also coordinated a contest for the best decorated vehicle/trunk, door prizes, refreshments, and a prayer station inside.