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Elgin’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6115 is ramping up its community engagement efforts by hosting one of this year’s Halloween Trunk or Treat events, calling in some professional scarer experience for their new haunted house.
The VFW lot at 118 Sayers Road will be transformed Oct. 31 into a festive space lined with cars distributing treats. Running from 6 to 9 p.m., the event will take place rain or shine and will also include games, live music from the Twisted Round and outdoor movies. “We have the space for it,” said Tiffany Finley. “The VFW is definitely wanting to be more community forward. When the city decided not to do it anymore, we decided we might as well take it over.”
While the city has hosted previous Trunk or Treat events at the VFW, this year’s festivities have moved to the Elgin Public Library. Finley reassured the community that concerns about cars leaving the lot while children are present have been addressed.
“We have more than enough treats to go around,” she said, highlighting that local businesses, including Chemn Café, Millie’s on Main and Frontier Bank, have boxes set out for candy donations.
The district’s Future Farmers of America Program has donated its onsite barn for the haunted house, and VFW Ways and Means Chair Stef Finley has consulted with Smithville’s Scream Hollow Halloween Park for expert tips and tricks.
“We hope that this is a great success, and it’s something that we can keep providing to the community in the future,” Finley added. “It’s really been community driven, like most things we do. We got donations for probably over 50 pallets for us to use, hay from the Elgin General Store … it’s just real nice that the community keeps coming together to help us out with these things.”
The haunted house will have a minor entrance fee to help cover security costs, live actors and to raise funds for the post. It will also stay open later into the night for interested attendees.
Elgin VFW emphasized that they are not competing with the city but rather providing more options for Halloween entertainment. With their commitment to community involvement, this year’s Trunk or Treat promises to be a memorable celebration for families in Elgin.
For added treats, the First Baptist Church of Elgin will also be hosting a Trunk or Treat event at 13916 County Line Road, from 6 to 8 p.m.
