It's Trunk-or-Treat at Bayside Chapel in Williamsville

On Friday, Oct. 26, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Bayside Chapel will hold its annual Trunk-or-Treat, offering families a safe place to trick-or-treat.

“We’re going on three or four years,” said Carol Sterba, who works in the church office, of the event, “It’s a wonderful event and it’s a faith-based event.”

Trunk-or-Treat is the church’s way of offering families in the community the chance to trick-or-treat in a safe, controlled environment.

“Some of our members from both Bayside Chapel and Saint Matthew’s By the Sea decorate the trunks of their cars and fill them with goodies, and they park them in our parking lot,” said Sterba, noting that more than 20 cars usually participate. “The children have to register and have to pick up lovely little bags filled with faith-based themes and toys. Then they treat-or-trunk around the parking lot. It’s an awful lot of fun.”

The church will also be decorated for the holiday, and families may go inside after treating, to enjoy free fun activities, as well as snacks.

“They can go inside where we have face painting, pumpkin painting and a costume parade. This year, we’re doing something that we haven’t done before. There will be three drawing for Toys-R-Us gift cards. The lucky families will win a little bit of extra help for the holidays.”

Sterba said that the church’s newly established youth group is actively involved in helping with the event.

“They’re our Halloween helpers. They assist with face painting and the pumpkin painting, and that’s part of their ministry of assistance — helping different facets of the community,” she said. “Everyone really gets involved in this, because we believe in having a safe Halloween for the children in the community.”

More than 100 children usually attend the event, from little ones to teenagers.

“Everybody is all dressed up. The adults and church members are in Halloween costumes. It really is cute, and many of them are grandparents or parents with their children. It’s all about children.”

Sterba said that, no matter what a person’s denomination is, the church hopes to offer a safe place for families to celebrate the holiday, and perhaps consider revisiting a life with Christ.

“That’s why we call ourselves ‘an open door on 54.’ It doesn’t make any difference if you’re Catholic or Lutheran or Baptist; you’re welcome and we welcome people with open arms,” she said. “We hope to be able to reach out into the community and perhaps reach into the hearts of those in the community who are not going to church and help them find a life with Christ.”

For more information, call (302) 436-7585. Bayside Chapel is located at 38288 London Avenue, in the Williamsville Industrial Park, 4 miles west of Harris Teeter on Route 54.