As ghouls, ghosts and monsters of all shapes and sizes spilled into the street Thursday, the MSU greek community welcomed them into their front yards — and inflatable moon bounces — for a little bit of trick-or-treating and some good old-fashioned fun.
The annual event, sponsored by the MSU Panhellenic, Interfraternity and Graduate Student councils, was held on M.A.C. Avenue, between Burcham Avenue and Elizabeth Street, and attracts around 300 to 450 trick-or-treaters every year, said social relations and policy senior Lauren Klaserner, vice president of external relations for the Panhellenic Council.
The event featured an inflatable bouncy house and slide, carnival games, airbrush tattoos and more unorthodox activities, such as pumpkin bowling and a witch’s hat ring toss.
“It’s been vamped up this year,” criminal justice and pre-law junior Amy Wall said. Wall also is a representative on the Panhellenic Council. “It used to be just booths set up, but now they’ve added more games, the inflatable rides and made it more appealing. The best part is interacting with the kids, because as students we don’t get many chances to do that.”
Safe Halloween ran from 5 until 7 p.m., the same time as East Lansing’s Great Pumpkin Walk, which brings about 800 to 1,000 trick-or-treaters to downtown each year, coordinator and East Lansing’s Community Development Specialist Heather Pope said.
“We want to give kids a safe place to trick-or-treat,” Pope said.
Safe Halloween — located a few blocks away — gave kids a chance to do exactly that. About 1,500 sorority and fraternity members — working in two shifts — manned the games and inflatable rides lining the streets. Others handed out bags of candy or distributed cider and donuts.
“This is an opportunity for every greek member to get involved with local families and children,” Safe Halloween co-director and child development senior Mandy Hazergian said. “It also gives us a chance to eliminate some of the stereotypes about greeks and MSU students.”
East Lansing resident Chris Bargerstock said she and her family have attended Safe Halloween for the past few years and enjoy the chance to have fun and trick-or-treat while it still is light outside.
“I love this more than actual trick-or-treating sometimes,” Bargerstock said “It’s in the daytime and there’s plenty of light and more things to do. It’s much more fun actually being able to see the other kids’ costumes.”
Bargerstock said the candy and games were fun, but the students also helped to make the event more enjoyable.
“(The students) that run (Safe Halloween) are great,” she said. “I’ve always had a positive view of students and everyone here is nice and welcoming. I think it’s good for the community and students to interact with each other.”
And for many children, candy was not the main attraction. For 10-year-old East Lansing resident Alexander Reyes, it was all about the bounce.
“The bouncy slide is the funnest part of (Safe Halloween),” Reyes said. “I think it’s awesome. And I think the students are awesome because they give us candy and bring these (slides) for us to play on.”
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