Lions, Rotary partner on event

 

At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, downtown Ironton will be overrun with ghouls, ghosts and goblins — all in search of candy.

The City of Ironton Safe Trick-or-Treat will take place at both the city center and downtown businesses. Tables will be set up in the city center where people will hand out candy and some people will disperse candy from their businesses.

At around 7 p.m. the Halloween parade will begin, but there is a change in the parade’s route this year.

“We start milling on Monday in preparation for the re-paving of South Third Street,” Rich Blankenship, mayor of Ironton, said. “It was because of that we had to change the route.”

Ironton Lions Club past president Lou Pyles said this year’s parade route is not much different.

“The parade will go from the fountain on Center Street and down to Second Street,” she said. “It will then go left on Second Street and end at the parking lot by the spray park.”

Children who wish to enter the parade and be judged for the costume contest should meet at the fountain area just before 7 p.m. to receive their numbers, according to Pyles.

The Rotary Club will judge the costume contest and prizes will be awarded to winners of best witch, best ghost, scariest, cutest and most patriotic. The Ironton High School Band will also perform.

“The Lions and the Rotary go in together and get the candy to hand out during the parade,” Pyles said. “The Lions do so much just as the Rotary does and it comes together really well.”

One of the event’s biggest benefits, Pyles said, is the environment in which children trick-or-treat.

“It’s nice to do for these children to be safe and controlled,” she said. “Many parents don’t like their children walking through the streets anymore.”

Citywide trick-or-treat in Ironton is from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.