Children living in the city of Dowagiac will not be the only ones getting in on the “trunk or treat” action Halloween night.

For the fourth straight year, the Sister Lakes Community Church will host its own Trunk or Treat event, in the parking lot of its chapel on State Route 152, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Around 40 volunteers are expected to be at the location that evening, handing out candy to children.

Like other trunk or treat events, it is designed to give kids a safe, one-stop location for filling their sacks with sugary delights compared to going door-to-door, said pastor Scott Stambaugh. While the Sister Lakes Fire Department hosted a similar
distribution for many years, the church began organizing its own event several years ago.

“There was a need for it in our area,” Stambaugh said. “Dowagiac has had one for years, but we needed something like this for our neighborhoods.”

Along with safety, the church also consolidates trick-or-treating activity to a single location, which is helpful for a large, spread-out community, Stambaugh said.

“Sister Lakes is an interesting area,” he said. “So many of our residents are seasonal, so most of the houses are unoccupied this time of year.”

The Sister Lakes Fire Department will be helping out this year as they have in the past, handing out candy and letting kids take a look inside one of their fire engines. A DJ will also be present, playing Halloween favorites like “Monster Mash,” and refreshments will be provided for both kids and adults alike.

One of the new things that visitors can take advantage of is the church’s new bounce house. Besides offering a fun activity for kids, it will be promoting their new “Kid’s Town” service, a youth-oriented program that debuts this Sunday.

“We’re hoping that kids who come out for the Trunk or Treat will get a flavor of what it’s all about, and want to come back on Sunday,” Stambaugh said.