Toronto's Halloween forecast and safety tips: what trick-or-treaters need to know

It won’t be long before the streets will be filled with trick-or-treaters donning their favourite costumes as they go door-to-door to scare up some sweets.

Before heading out the door, here’s what you need to know to safely enjoy your Halloween festivities.

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SAFETY TIPS

Several police services have released tips for trick-or-treaters or those planning to attend Halloween parties.

Toronto police is urging those going out to be visible, predictable, and safe.

They can do that by bringing flashlights or glowsticks, planning a route, looking before crossing the street, wearing face paint instead of a mask, and keeping the costume away from their feet.

Toronto police added that officers would also be on patrol this evening “to keep all your little ghouls and goblins safe.”

Ontario Provincial Police also released additional advice:

• Trick-or-treaters should always walk on a sidewalk if available and use crosswalks to cross the street.
• Parents are encouraged to dress their children in bright colours to make them more visible to drivers and ensure that masks or face coverings do not obstruct their vision.
• Create a “buddy system” to help get each other home safely and prevent walking alone.
• For drivers, be alert and slow down for trick-or-treaters, especially those who may come out from between parked cars or behind shrubbery. Stop for them and proceed with caution.
• Never use or look at your phone when you’re driving. Driving needs your full attention, particularly on Halloween when there’s an increased presence of pedestrians after dark.

WEATHER

It's going to be a chilly night in the Greater Toronto Area, so trick-or-treaters and revellers are being reminded to dress accordingly.

Environment Canada says that it will be partly cloudy with a 30 per cent chance of showers or flurries this evening with the temperature is expected to drop to a low of -2 C overnight that will feel more like minus 4 with the wind chill.

“The trick-or-treating hours should be cloudy but dry with a temperature pulling back from the day’s high of 6 C to about 4 C during the early eve,” CP24’s Meteorologist Bill Coulter said.

The sun will set at 6:11 p.m., according to Environment Canada, providing ample time for candy collection well into the evening.

HALLOWEEN ON CHURCH

For grown-ups looking for free costume parties, Church-Wellesley Village is hosting a street party starting at 7 p.m.

Church Street will be closed from Carlton to Gloucester streets for the event, which is expected to be attended by thousands of people. The village’s shops, cafés, and bars will be open for the party.