Although it was two days before the event, Saturday, October 29, seemed like Halloween in town, as several activities aimed at tots and children celebrated the season of the spooky.

At Booth Library on Main Street, dozens of children, ages 3 through 7, gathered for a children's Halloween party held in different sections of the building. The program offered seasonal crafts projects for the children, as well as various games, a photo booth, and a scavenger hunt.

Children with their parents in tow enjoyed the various activities. Among the costumed children, there was a witch, princess, fireman, cat, and various superheroes.

More than a mile away, in Sandy Hook Center, a wide range of costumed children, accompanied by their parents, participated in the Sandy Hook Hallweek Walk. Participants walked among the various businesses in the compact business district on their trick-or-treat rounds.

The sixth annual event sponsored by Sandy Hook Organization for Prosperity (SHOP) showcased the various firms which do business in the hamlet along the Pootatuck River.

At Fairfield Hills, in the main parking lot for Reed Intermediate School, the Middle Gate Elementary School PTA staged Trunk or Treat for young children.

In that event, dozens of vehicles, mostly SUVs and minivans, were positioned in the parking lot with their hatches up. Each vehicle's storage area contained a display with a Halloween theme. Children walked from vehicle to vehicle, trick-or-treating as they went.

Children also visited a "haunted house" set up  inside a nearby tent. The event included a costume parade.

One parent commented that the trunk-or-treat event provided parents with a way to let their small children enjoy Halloween without facing the  hazards posed by walking along streets in the nighttime.