Bumper-to-bumper sweet treats: A variety of trunk-or-treat-style Halloween events are set for youngsters

Especially two years ago, Melissa Hatton remembers figurative bumper-to-bumper traffic amid something of a mini-Halloween highway.

Some 500 people.

“There was just a constant flow,” Hatton said.

Right in the parking lot of the free Sandy Hook United Methodist Church’s Trunk or Treat event in Columbus, where candy-filled car trunks were popped open down the line and frighteningly full.

That was just one of a number of such gatherings then. And the seasonal events are ready to unfold again throughout the area, from daylight to dark over almost the next two weeks.

We have rounded up a few of the events and listed them here. Organizers range from churches to businesses to organizations, all with a goal of mixing serendipity and safety.

For those may be backing into one of these gatherings to distribute goodies, there are dozens of trunk motifs to copy online, from “Star Wars” to “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

At Flintwood Wesleyan Church in Columbus, as many as 1,000 people have attended such functions in some recent years. Pastor Wes Jones acknowledged that candy safety sometimes takes a humorous turn.

“Oh, we do sample some of it,” he said with a laugh.

Because of chilly or even snowy weather in recent years, Flintwood has moved its festivities from outdoor trunks to indoor tables.

“It just seems to be a lot of fun for everybody,” Jones said.

Here is a list of some upcoming events:

• 6 p.m. Oct. 25: Date Night Pumpkin Painting. Turning Point Domestic Violence Services Community Building. The event description online: Each duo will be given mini-sized pumpkins to decorate.The possibilities are endless when it comes to what could be The Great Pumpkin: the zombie version of each other, your favorite Halloween movie character, your pet. Light snacks and beverages will be available free. All materials provided.

• 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 26: Halloween Fall Fest, Donner Park, 741 22nd St. in Columbus. Organizers are inviting attendees to take a trip down the trick-or-treating trail.

• 9 a.m. Oct. 26: Columbus Cars and Coffee Trunk R Treat. Organizers say that those who attend with their vehicles can feel free to bring candy and decorate their car for the event. This year, Lucabe Coffee Company, which provides free coffee each month for the events at Eastbrook Plaza in Columbus, is hosting a fall festival alongside a Trunk or Treat. The Lucabe event starts at 11 a.m. and will provide a bounce house and fall activities for the family.
• 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26: Columbus Power Elite Trunk or Treat, 3655 N. National Road, Columbus.

• 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 27: Fourth Annual Trunk or Treat, 3330 International Drive in Columbus.
• 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29: Keepsake Village of Columbus. The evening will be filled with hot dogs, lemonade, cookies and rock paintings.
• 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29: Trunk or Treat with Ruoff Home Mortgage, 1160 Washington St., Columbus. Hot chocolate, cider, a disc jockey, face painting, fall crafts.

• 6 p.m. Oct. 30: Columbus Township Fire and Rescue at the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds.
• 5:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31: Sandy Hook United Methodist Trunk or Treat, 1610 Taylor Road in Columbus. Expecting several hundred children and more than a dozen trunks of various candy, spooky music and more.
• 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31: Flintwood Wesleyan Church Trunk or Treat, 5300 E. 25th St. in Columbus.