By Aly Davis

Contributing Writer

Residents of the River Parishes got Halloween activities going this weekend with a number of trunk-or-treat activities.

In LaPlace, where some neighborhoods are still not ready for trick or treaters, a couple of local churches held events to accommodate the youngsters. Both St. Joan of Arc and the Lutheran Church of the Galilean set up makeshift neighborhoods in their respective parking lots to take care of the costumed children’s candy-collecting needs. This was especially needed in LaPlace where the hidden dangers in some of the more hurricane-stricken neighbors might go beyond things that go bump in the night.

Meanwhile residents of St. Charles Parish celebrated Halloween on Sunday, Oct. 28, at the St. Charles United Methodist Church on 1905 Ormond Blvd. in Destrehan with a trunk or treat as well as a visit to the large pumpkin patch.

Children of all ages dressed in their Halloween costumes made their way around the parking lot to trick-or-treat at a dozen cars decorated with spider webs, LSU gear, pumpkins, puppets, ghosts and more. Many then made their way inside to eat treats and make a beaded craft. On their way in or out of the trunk or treat, visitors had the chance to visit the large pumpkin patch.

For 16 years the St. Charles United Methodist Church has turned the front lawn into a large pumpkin patch during the month of October. A large truck carried 2,500 pumpkins from a Navajo Reservation in New Mexico to the Church, arriving on Sept. 29, and the community has gathered to enjoy the wide array of pumpkins. Pam Waguespack, the coordinator of the pumpkin patch, explained that students from local schools come on field trips where volunteers read the students a Halloween story, and the students pick their pumpkins and receive a snack.

“The kids really look forward to coming,” said Waguespack.

In years past, the pumpkin patch has raised anywhere from $2,500 to $6,000. The money raised from the pumpkin patch is used to fund local, national and international missions. Every other year, volunteers from the church go on missions to a sister church in Cuba, as well as doing an annual medical and construction trip to Mexico.

For more information about the St. Charles United Methodist Church and volunteer opportunities, please visit www.stcharles umc.org, and click on “Missions.”