By Hub City Times staff

MARSHFIELD – Marshfield aldermen are moving and lengthening the city’s official trick-or-treat hours.

On Oct. 13, the common council voted in favor of extending the official hours of trick-or-treating by one hour, and moving them to an earlier time slot.

Instead of the traditional hours of 5:30-7:30 p.m., aldermen voted to hold trick-or-treating from 4-7 p.m.

Even though he voted in favor of the move, Alderman Ed Wagner wondered why the city would have trick-or-treating at all during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Alderman Ken Bargender said allowing trick-or-treating was no different than allowing kids to go to school or day care.

City Administrator Steve Barg noted that only one neighboring community is moving off of its traditional trick-or-treating hours.

Despite a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases in the state, Alderman Tom Witzel said there’s really not much the city can do.

The council said it would not interfere with the traditions along a six-block section of West Fifth Street between Oak and Columbus Avenues, which is always a hotbed of trick-or-treating activity each Halloween. The city will again close that portion of Fifth for pedestrian-only traffic during the official trick-or-treating hours.