Churches Offer Trick-Or-Treating Alternative

Many parents don’t think Halloween is as safe for little witches, vampires and ghosts as it used to be.

They’re reluctant to allow their children to venture far from home on trick-or-treating jaunts. Some don’t let their children go out at all, while others limit their kids’ quests for candy to just their immediate neighborhoods.

Several churches on the North side are stepping up and offering Halloween parties as an alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating. The parties are safe and indoors, which makes parents happy, and they offer lots of candy, which makes the kids happy.

Here are a few North Side gatherings:

Lidgerwood Evangelical Church, 228 E. Gordon, will host a Family Fall Festival harvest party from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday. The party will feature carnival games, face painting, refreshments and, of course, candy galore.

Volunteers from the Neva-Wood COPS Shop will also be in attendance, running a game booth with candy prizes. Costumes are not required.

Children from the community are invited to attend a harvest party Friday at the Spokane Faith Center, 3300 W. Central. The event, which will run from 6 to 9 p.m., will feature games, a duck pond, a pie toss, a maze and free candy. Game tickets are 25 cents each or five for $1.

Little Caesars will be providing all-you-can-eat pizza for $3.50 per person.

The First Church of the Open Bible, 8303 N. Division, is inviting all kids through the sixth grade and their parents to a Family Harvest Party Friday from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

The party will feature 20 carnival games, a maze and a Bible story acted out by the church staff. The fire department will also be on hand. There is no charge to attend, but donations of bagged candy will be accepted.

Northwood Presbyterian Church, 6721 N. Monroe, will host a community Halloween party at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. The party will feature games and refreshments. Costumes are not required.

North Addison Baptist Church, 6120 N. Addison, will host a harvest party from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday. Kids ages 3 through the sixth grade are invited to attend and wear costumes related to the Bible. The event will feature a variety of games and refreshments. Admission is a bag of candy.

Book sale at North Hill Christian

North Hill Christian church, 4620 N. Post, will host a book sale at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. The sale, sponsored by the Christian Education Department, will feature a wide variety of Christian books, Bibles and books for kids.

Election day bake sale

The women of Lidgerwood Presbyterian Church will host an election day bake sale Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Don’t forget to vote, too!) Craft items will be available as well as breads, pies, cookies and candy.

The church is located at 4449 N. Nevada. xxxx