Halloween which falls on a school night this year (Monday), will still offer plenty of fun in East County.

In Montesano, the Downtown Trick-or-Treat begins at 1 p.m. and runs through 4 p.m. Parents and children can dress up and head downtown to visit local, participating businesses for holiday treats. Participating businesses will display an official “Downtown Trick-or-Treat” sign in their door or window.

Later, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at Montesano High School, it’s time for Associated Student Body’s “Haunted Hallways.” Games and treats will be offered.

After Haunted Hallways, many will take to the streets for traditional trick-or-treating. Montesano Police Chief Brett Vance said he and his officers will be on hand in some of the more congested areas of town to ensure smooth traffic flow.

Vance said there never have been major Halloween issues in Montesano other than the occasional smashed pumpkin, and Halloween pranksters are reminded to respect the property of others.

“Respect other people’s property,” Vance said. “Use sidewalks and crosswalks and maybe don’t cut across someone’s lawn.”

He also suggested pedestrians ensure they are visible to drivers by wearing reflective clothing, using glow sticks, blinking lights or flashlights when walking the darkened streets. Vance said the police department would be passing out glow sticks (and candy) while their limited supplies lasted.

Vance also suggested kids use the buddy system and to avoid running, especially in costumes that may obscure vision.

“Slow down and enjoy the evening,” Vance said.

In Elma, also on Halloween, the 18th annual Downtown Trick-or-Treat will be held 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Downtown businesses participating will have a sign posted.

The Trick-or-Treat Shuttle, by Elma Feed and Farm Supply, will be loading and unloading at the Elma Chamber of Commerce. The Downtown Trick-or-Treat is sponsored by the Elma Chamber and Elma businesses.

Halloween fun continues with the Harvest Fair Carnival at Elma Middle School. Sponsored by the Alliance Church, the carnival is 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and is a free event.

Elma Police Chief Sue Shultz said she would be at the Elma Police Station with candy and goodies. Last year’s trick-or-treat brought out some great costumes, Shultz added.

The Police Chief suggested kids trick-or-treat in groups and stay together. She said parents and children need to be aware of traffic when crossing the roads.

Another tip for parents is to instruct kids to wait until after an adult has inspected their candy collection before eating any of it.

“Avoid eating any unwrapped candy or homemade items from people you don’t know,” Shultz advised.