An hour earlier, community organizations and volunteers were preparing displays inspired by “Stranger Things,” “The Wizard of Oz,” Minions and aliens. Music played through speakers as families arrived for Durham Parks and Recreation’s annual Trunk-or-Treat event. 

The Halloween celebration brought together Durham families, local organizations and volunteers for an evening of festivities, offering children a place to trick-or-treat and giving residents an opportunity to connect with their community.

Roseana Matthews, a recreation specialist at Holton, said the event has been held for approximately 10 years and typically features 30 to 40 decorated vehicles. She said organizers had hoped for 40 vehicles this year, but several participants canceled at last minute. 

“Kids need a safe place to be,” Matthews said. “My kids love going out, trick-or-treating, but it’s not always the safest anymore, not like when we were kids.”

Matthews said the event provides an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating while bringing families and local organizations together. Though attendance has increased over recent years, she said she did not have an estimate for how many people would attend this year. 

Participating groups included the City of Durham’s Housing and Neighborhood Services Department, Durham Habitat for Humanity, Duke CHILD Studies, National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa and students from two local schools. Individual residents also decorated trunks and handed out treats. 

Matthews said families could also enjoy giveaways beyond candy, including bubbles, books and three bikes from Eastern Bikes. 

Chapin Brinegar, a member of the Research Triangle Ghostbusters, brought a “Stranger Things” themed trunk after hearing that several participants had canceled.

Brinegar said the original plan was to participate with the Ghostbusters group, but she decided to bring another car to help fill the spots left by cancellations. 

Brinegar said events like Trunk-or-Treat offer families a convenient way to celebrate Halloween while meeting people from their community.

“It brings people together. It’s a sense of community,” Brinegar said. “There’s usually little activities. There’s different community groups out, so you can meet people, you can network, you can make new friends.”

For Brinegar, a former teacher, one of the most rewarding parts of participating is watching children recognize the characters and decorations, and discovering new characters through their costumes. 

Other organizations used the event as an opportunity to connect with families outside their usual settings. Mariam Wahba, recruitment coordinator for Duke CHILD Studies, said the group participated to engage with families and introduce them to its research. 

Duke CHILD Studies is a group of psychology research labs that study how children think and grow. Representatives handed out candy and stickers while encouraging parents to sign up for emails about future research opportunities. 

Wahba said events like Trunk-or-Treat give Duke CHILD Studies a chance to introduce its work to families in a less formal setting.

“I think it brings about, like, a sense of community,” Wahba said. 

She said participating is one way Duke CHILD Studies can give back to local families. 

As the evening continued, crowds filled the event space as children moved between trunks collecting candy. Families stopped to greet familiar faces, children recognized friends and residents chatted with volunteers and event organizers. 

Matthews said planning for the event takes nearly a year. She begins reaching out to organizations about six months in advance and continues checking in with participants as the event approaches. 

Despite six months of preparation, Matthews said her favorite part is seeing how excited children get, especially those experiencing their first Trunk-or-Treat. 

“The smiles,” Matthews said. “Definitely. Definitely the smiles.”

Edited by: Mason Eill and Mollie Ray