ASHLAND — Halloween fun doesn’t have to end after one night. Perhaps the youngsters deserve more than one chance to show off their costumes.
Hence, families traveled to the Donley Ford of Ashland building for the third annual Trunk or Treat. Children collected candy from a circle of vehicles decorated by local businesses on Monday.
Spider-Man, princesses, Toy Story characters and K-pop Demon Hunters filled the parking lot with Halloween spirit. A long line of families stretched across the lot as children made their way from car to car.
The free event ran from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and gave families another chance to show off their costumes before Halloween.
Amber Morrison, marketing director at Ford Donley who helped organize the event, said the idea started as a way to give children a safe place to trick-or-treat.
Now in its third year in Ashland, the event has become a favorite among the company’s activities at its local stores.
“We just wanted a safe place for kids to trunk-or-treat,” Morrison said.
Organizers also wanted to bring local businesses together. Businesses can register to decorate a vehicle and distribute candy without paying a participation fee. They only need to provide their own candy and attend.
In return, organizers promote participating businesses on social media in the months leading up to the event. Businesses like Opus II Dance Studio and PNC Bank joined the festivities Monday.
Morrison said planning starts as early as March. Organizers reach out to businesses, coordinate participants and map out the parking lot before event day.
“It’s great for networking as far as bringing local businesses together to do something that doesn’t cost any money,” she said. “They just have to buy some candy and come hang out.”
The Ashland event is part of a growing tradition across the company’s locations. The Mount Vernon dealership launched its event a year before Ashland started hosting one. Last year, the Mount Vernon event brought in about 1,000 people, according to Morrison.
The company is also bringing the event to Shelby for the first time this year.
The annual event has found its own spot on Ashland’s fall calendar.
“We don’t ever do it on Halloween, and we make sure we don’t do it when the city of Ashland is doing it,” Morrison said.
For families spending money on costumes, Morrison said one night shouldn’t be the limit.
“You buy these Halloween costumes and they’re crazy prices,” Morrison said. “Let them wear them more than once.”
See more photos from Ashland’s third annual Trunk or Treat in the gallery below:
