SALISBURY — Soon our streets will be filled with little ghosts, goblins and witches trick-or-treating for Halloween.

“Halloween should be filled with surprise and enjoyment and following some commonsense practices can keep events safer and more fun,” said Sheriff Kevin Auten in a news release.

Auten reminds all Rowan County residents to follow these tips for a safe Halloween:

Motorists

• Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.

• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians and curbs.

• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.

• At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.

Parents

• While on the prowl for treats, make sure an adult or an older responsible youth will be supervising children under 12.

• Check the sex offender registry at www.NCSBI.gov when planning your child’s trick-or-treat route. You can view maps that pinpoint registered offenders’ addresses in your neighborhood and sign up to get email alerts when an offender moves nearby.

• Plan and discuss the route trick-or-treaters intend to follow. Know the names of older children’s companions.

• Make sure older kids trick-or-treat in a group.

• Instruct your children to travel only in familiar areas and along an established route.

• Teach your children to stop only at houses or apartment buildings that are well-lit and never to enter a stranger’s home.

• Establish a return time.

• Tell your youngsters not to eat any treats until they return home.

• Review all appropriate trick-or-treat safety precautions, including pedestrian and traffic safety rules.

• All children need to know their home telephone number and how to call 911 in case of emergency.

• Pin a slip of paper with the child’s name, address, and telephone number inside a pocket in case the youngster gets separated from the group.

Technology Tips

• Make sure any older children who are trick-or-treating alone have a fully charged cellphone to carry with them.

• Be sure to check your children’s cellphones and turn tracking features off on cellphone mobile applications not solely accessed by parents so strangers will not be able to access your children’s location.

• Parents of children who have cell phones may consider having children turn on a mobile tracking application such as Find My Friends or Life360 that allow only individuals selected by parents to safely track their whereabouts.

• Parents of children who do not have a cell phone may consider allowing children to wear or carry a Bluetooth tracking device with controlled access to your child’s location.

• Remind your children not to wear headphones or earbuds so they can hear cars approaching on the road.

• Know when witches and superheroes are outside your front door by using a motion-activated doorbell or mounted cameras like Ring or Nest to notify you of their presence.

• Also consider using motion sensor lighting around your home to keep trick-or-treaters safe and help alert you when ghosts and goblins are approaching.

Costume design

• Only fire-retardant materials should be used for costumes.

• Costumes should be loose so warm clothes can be worn underneath.

• Costumes should not be so long that they are a tripping hazard.

• Make sure that shoes fit well to prevent trips and falls.

• Be safe and be seen. If children are allowed out after dark, outfits should be made with light colored materials. Strips of retro-reflective tape should be used to make children visible.

Face design

• Do not use masks as they can obstruct a child’s vision. Use facial make-up instead.

• When buying special Halloween makeup, check for packages containing ingredients that are labeled “Made with U.S. Approved Color Additives,” “Laboratory Tested,” “Meets Federal Standards for Cosmetics,” or “Non-Toxic”

• Follow manufacturer’s instruction for application.

• If masks are worn, they should have nose and mouth openings and large eye holes.

Accessories

• If your child dresses up as a pirate, ninja or in any other costume that includes accessories like knives and swords, be sure accessories are made from cardboard or flexible materials. Do not allow children to carry sharp objects.

• Bags or sacks carried by youngsters should be light-colored or trimmed with retro-reflective tape if children are allowed out after dark.

• Carrying flashlights with fresh batteries will help children see better and be seen more clearly.

• If children are carrying cell phones, remind them of the flashlight feature available on most smart phones.

Trick-or-treating

• Do not enter homes or apartments without adult supervision.

• While everyone is excited for candy, make sure children walk instead of run from house to house. Do not cross yards and lawns where unseen objects or the uneven terrain can present tripping hazards.

• Walk on sidewalks, not in the street.

• Walk on the left side of the road, facing traffic, if there are no sidewalks.

Treats

• Give children an early meal before going out.

• Insist that treats be brought home for inspection before anything is eaten.

• Wash fruit and slice it into small pieces.

• Throw away any candy that is unwrapped or partially wrapped or has a strange odor, color or texture.

Homeowners/decorations

• Keep candles and jack o’ lanterns away from landings and doorsteps where costumes could brush against the flame.

Remove obstacles from lawns, steps, and porches when expecting trick-or-treaters.

• Keep candles and jack o’ lanterns away from curtains, decorations, and other combustibles that could catch fire.

• Don’t let ghosts and spirits in by leaving your home unattended.

“Halloween is a fun time in Rowan County,” Auten said, “but let’s make it a safe time as well. The major dangers are not from witches or spirits but rather from falls and pedestrian/car crashes.”

Hall’s Chapel Primitive Baptist Church Hallelujah Night event is Saturday

SALISBURY — Hall’s Chapel Primitive Baptist Church Youth Department is presenting a Hallelujah Night event Saturday that is open to all kids in the community.

The event from 5-8 p.m. has games, food, face painting, trunk or treat and more. Costumes are welcome excluding anything wicked such as witches, ghosts, vampires, etc.

The church is at 611 E. Monroe St.

The Fun Factory grand opening Saturday

The Fun Factory is holding a Halloween bash on Saturday from 4-9 p.m. as part of its grand opening at 120 N. Church St. A costume contest, haunted trail and games are part of the festivities.

Halloween Fun Fest

Downtown Salisbury’s Halloween Fun Fest is Saturday at Bell Tower Green from 4:30-7:30 p.m. and features  trick-or-treating, games, jack o’ lantern luminaries and a costume contest.