Local

'It’s ridiculous’: No trick-or-treating? This South Carolina city says you can’t

CHESTER, S.C. — Nine-year-old Logan Barrera was looking forward to putting on his Flash costume and trick-or-treating this Halloween, but last month the Chester City Council voted to ban the holiday activity because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve always trick-or-treated, up to last year. This year it’s going to feel weird,” he said.

Now, some parents are saying the city has gone too far.

“It’s ridiculous. I was astonished. I couldn’t believe they were going to take something like that away from the kids,” Logan’s mother, Misty, said.

Jennifer Brecheisen lives on York Street, which is known for decorating for the holiday and drawing hundreds of kids or more each year. She said many families come from out of town to trick-or-treat on her street.

She thinks the city should have issued guidelines, not a mandate.

“They can’t ban Halloween. I can protect myself and I can make the decision to protect my child, the way I see fit,” she said.

Chester Mayor Wanda Stringfellow, who voted in support of the ban, explained the council’s decision.

“We’re in the midst of a pandemic where our COVID numbers are not going down, but steadily increasing,” Stringfellow said. “These families should be happy that this council is putting the safety of their children first.”

Stringfellow said she expects police to enforce the ban, although Channel 9 spoke to Chester Police Chief Eric Williams about enforcing the ordinance. He said his goal is to keep people safe, and that enforcement measures won’t be “extreme.”

He said if officers see people out trick-or-treating, they will tell them about the ordinance but he doesn’t expect to cite people for violations.

As an alternative, the night before Halloween, the City of Chester will host “Boo-tastic,” a drive-thru event downtown on Cadz Street where kids will be able to get candy.