Halloween arrives Saturday, October 31, and Jefferson County families have plenty of ways to celebrate safely and together. With the holiday landing on a weekend this year, many local organizations are stretching festivities across several days — making for one of the fuller Halloween calendars the area has seen in recent memory.
Madras Elks Lodge Trunk-or-Treat: Saturday, Oct. 31
The Madras Elks Lodge is hosting its annual Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m. in the north parking lot of the lodge. The event is free and open to all Jefferson County families, with candy provided by Elks volunteers alongside free hot chocolate, popcorn, coloring books, stickers, and bookmarks.
This year's event is presented in partnership with the DAP (Drug Awareness Program), which uses the Halloween season as an opportunity to engage families around substance prevention in a welcoming, festive setting. The Trunk-or-Treat format — decorated vehicle trunks set up in a row for kids to visit — provides a safe, well-lit alternative to traditional neighborhood trick-or-treating, especially popular with families with younger children.
Spirit Week on the Warm Springs Reservation
Tribal employees across the Warm Springs Reservation are wrapping up Spirit Week on Thursday with Superhero Day, while Warm Springs Early Childhood Education staff celebrate Farm Day — flannel shirts and overalls encouraged. The week has brought some levity and community connection to tribal workplaces ahead of the Halloween weekend.
Tips for a Safe Halloween in Jefferson County
Whether you're trick-or-treating in Madras neighborhoods, heading out to Culver or Metolius, or driving Highway 26 through Warm Springs, a few reminders from local public safety officials:
- Add reflective tape or light-up accessories to costumes — especially for evening trick-or-treating after dark
- Travel in groups and stick to well-lit streets and familiar neighborhoods
- Inspect candy before letting young children eat it; discard anything unwrapped or unusual
- Drivers: slow down in residential areas on Saturday evening and watch carefully for children darting between parked cars
- Porch lights off means no candy — respect those households and move along
Highway 26 through Jefferson County and Warm Springs Road can see elevated traffic Saturday evening. Motorists are reminded to stay alert in residential corridors in Madras, Culver, Metolius, and Crooked River Ranch, where children will be active on sidewalks and streets.
What's Open, What's Not
Most Jefferson County government offices and schools will operate on a normal Friday schedule October 31 before the weekend. Families should confirm any school-specific costume or celebration policies with their individual buildings ahead of Friday.
The Madras Bulletin wishes all Jefferson County residents a safe and happy Halloween weekend. Stay visible, stay together, and enjoy the candy — you've earned it.