By Kelly Youngblood
A fun, new Halloween event is coming to the town of Mahomet and organizers hope it’s the beginning of an annual tradition.
Mahomet Parents Network will present Treats in Town on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The inaugural event includes nearly 30 local businesses located all over town that will be handing out candy to costumed kids.
Tara Allen, mother of three year-old daughter, Livi, and director of the Mahomet Parents Network, said she wanted to organize an event similar to a Trunk or Treat, but with fewer lines and less crowds.
“I was trying to think of something we could do for little ones this age,” Allen said.
While the event is “designed for the little ones,” Allen said Treats in Town is not just for the preschool crowd.
“We know these kids have older siblings. This is a fun event for kids of every age as long as they are in costume and accompanied by an adult,” she added.
Participating businesses are spread out over four main areas throughout Mahomet: Main Street, Oak Street, Eastwood Commons, and Commercial/Patton Drives. Some of the business owners will be dressed in costume as well. For a list of all participating businesses, go to the MPN Facebook page.
Treats in Town is the first community-wide event the Mahomet Parents Network has held since its inception earlier this year.
“It would be nice if this was successful and we could do it every year and Mahomet Parents Network became like a staple in town,” Allen said.
Mahomet Parents Network began in July of 2017 with the goal of connecting local families with one another before kindergarten.
Allen, who had experience with playgroups as the founder of Mahomet Tots, said Mahomet Parents Network was the idea of a fellow mother and friend, Merry McKeown.
McKeown approached Allen with an idea to start a larger community network of playgroups. Allen volunteered to organize it, and thus, Mahomet Parents Network was born.
MPN includes five different playgroups, which vary by age. The organization is not faith-based and is designed for stay-at-home or working parents. Each group plans its own field trips and events during the week and weekends, mostly at venues in Mahomet.
For more information about Mahomet Parents Network, go to their Facebook page.
Any businesses interesting in becoming a treat stop at Treats in Town should contact Allen at vmparentsnetwork@gmail.com.