Several organizations in Okanogan County will put on Halloween night events geared toward safe and fun trick-or-treating for families.
     A rundown:

Merchants offer treats
     Kids are invited to "Trick-or-Treat the Merchants" in Okanogan, Omak, Tonasket and Oroville from 3:30-5:30 p.m.
     Participating businesses are Armada Corp., As a Child Grows, Derina’s Flower Basket, Rawson’s Addus Healthcare, all Okanogan; Mickey’s Chuckwagon, Ulrich Drug, T’s Hair and Nails, Trail of Dreams, Ohana Nani Salon, Omak Feed and Supply, Sunrise Chevrolet, The Corner Shelf, The Mustard Seed, Mid-Valley Hospital, The Chronicle, Havillah Road Printing, Harrison Jewelers, Gene’s Harvest Foods, A Cut Above, Bristro Cheval Rouge, The Breadline Café, David Rodstol Inc., Fletcher’s Insurance, Beads and Things, Buckshot Espresso, all Omak; Remax Lake and Country, Oroville; Wild Rose Floral Design, Upper Valley Realty, North Valley Extended Care, North Valley Family Medicine, North Valley Hospital, Ralph’s TV and Gift Shop, Tonasket Natural Foods, North Valley Assisted Living, Lee Frank’s Mercantile, Doggie in the Window and Allen’s Auto Parts, all Tonasket.
     The idea came from Chronicle ad manager Debbie Paul, who said she and staff at the last newspaper at which she worked put the same program together in the interest of safety.
     Businesses jumped in at the opportunity to meet with all the families, and the program grew to 700 participating children one year, she said.
     So far, 37 businesses in Omak, Okanogan, Oroville and Tonasket have signed up for the event. Each participating business will display a bright orange pumpkin poster, Paul said.
     Business owners and staff also are encouraged to dress in costumes. A prize will be awarded to the best-dressed person, Paul said.

Hallelujah Carnival
     Cornerstone Christian Fellowship will present its annual Hallelujah Carnival from 5-8 p.m. in the Agriplex at the Okanogan County fairgrounds. Admission is free, but organizers ask each person to donate a can of food for the food banks.
     Free drinks, chili dogs and popcorn will be available at the event.
     Games will be set up throughout the building. They include a cake walk and booth games, with lots of prizes for youngsters to win, say organizers.
     Also planned is a carved or painted pumpkin contest. Pumpkins can be brought in from 5-7 p.m. and cannot be bigger than 26 inches around, say organizers.
     They can have no decorations other than paint or carvings, according to a church announcement. Judging will be at 8 p.m. Prizes will be given to two age groups, 2-5 years and 6-12 years.
     More information is available from the church, 826-2061, or Karen James, 826-2017.

Safe at the Meadows
     Apple Meadows, Omak, invites children up to age 12 to a safe trick-or-treat event at the facility. Kids can go door to door to visit with and seek treats from residents from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
     After trick-or-treating, children can play pin the nose on the skeleton or other games, say organizers.
      Another game will be Bucket of Brains, in which kids can dig through a bucket to find poker chips, which then can be traded in for prizes, said Shawna Poletti, Apple Meadows.
     Kids also get to judge residents' door decorations. They can walk through the "spook room" and "graveyard," although neither will be too scary for the kids, Poletti said.
     Each child who comes in will get a free bowling game certificate, Poletti added.
     Refreshments, snacks and other games will be available. More information is available at 826-1196.
     The event has many co-sponsors: Choice Auto and Truck, Frank's Snowplow and Sweeping, Havillah Road Printing and Graphics, Pete Peterson Plumbing, The Breadline Cafe, NCNB Okanogan, Top Notch Auto, Pepsi-Cola of Omak, Riverside Grocery, CJ's Auto Parts, Harrison Jewelers, Stampede Teriyaki, North Country Pub, Main Street Tavern and Grill, David Rodstol, KFC-Taco Bell, Mary Lisenbey, Safeway, Coffee Xpress, The Pumphouse Coffee Co., Valley Lanes, Hometown Pizza, Dave's Gun and Pawn, Wal-Mart, Dairy Queen and The Chronicle.
     More information on the night or on volunteering or donating to the event is available at 826-1196.

Trunk or treat
     A trunk-or-treat event and fall festival will be from 5-8 p.m. at the MPR in Curlew.
     Parents are invited by Curlew School Community Association to bring treats to hand out of t heir cars from 5-6 p.m. A car decorating prize of a $20 gift certificate to Tamarack Pizza will be given.
     Curlew High School seniors will sponsor costume contests and a haunted hallway. Concessions will be available, and parents will be offered music and free coffee.
     Tickets cost 35 cents, though many items are free. Proceeds go to individual classes.
     Curlew School Community Association will offer a treat walk, similar to a cake walk. Proceeds go toward classroom support.