The Governor released the guidelines for Halloween Trick or Treating earlier this week, therefore, we will be publishing our local parameters shortly, now that we have Trenton’s bumpers in place. Halloween falls on a Saturday this year and we will provide these details and best practices by next week, through all our communication channels including to the school districts. But, no tricks, Halloween will happen!
Events are a big deal in our community and this pandemic has already forced multiple cancellations this year, including one of the township’s featured events, Harrison Township Day. Our merchants also sponsor many events throughout the year and they too have been forced to cancel or alter numerous signature occasions.
The great news is that The Fall Open House Civil War Living History event on Main Street will take place this weekend. The widespread format of the annual event makes the social distancing protocols easier, with our businesses hosting specials, food & music filling the street and an evening bonfire topping things off. Saturday night features Ghastly Tales of the Civil War at Farm House Design on Main Street, a ticketed event, with the revenue benefitting the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) Civil War Museum in Philadelphia.
Here’s the Deal with Lights on Main
Let me also provide you with insight to our thoughts about the community’s premier event, Lights on Main. We all love this Thanksgiving Saturday event every year that is universally known as the best event in the county. That said, it should come as no surprise that shutting down Main Street and holding an event that will draw close to 10,000 people is not a possibility under the current COVID-19 cloud and restrictions. For that reason, Thanksgiving weekend 2020, in Mullica Hill, will not include our traditional Tree Lighting moment at 7PM on Saturday night. Not to mention that the tree has been lit since mid-March reflecting our COVID resolve. That message will be conveyed outside our borders to ensure the masses that come from out of town every year, don’t show up that night.
However, the virus does not limit our ability as a community to transform our Main Street into a Christmas Village worthy of a Norman Rockwell painting that weekend, like we always do. It cannot prevent individual business owners from hosting mini-events at their location or the township from sponsoring specific destinations on the street for your viewing and picture-taking pleasure. And COVID-19 definitely cannot stop our residents from strolling down that beautiful street with family members and take it all in, visually. All of that can happen while observing the necessary protocols.
Introducing…Miracle on Main!
Since mid-Summer, our team has been grappling with exactly “how” we can create a program or backdrop, without staging a township-wide event, that can produce the same joyous feelings. I am excited to tell you that we believe we’ve come up with a wonderful concept, which we will call Miracle on Main. It will be a weekend-long program, starting Friday evening of Thanksgiving weekend and running through Sunday night. The street will be transformed with all the traditional visual effects, including our famous tree, but will also include additional lighting and items to further enhance the experience.
We are collaborating with our Main Street business owners to give you a safe and healthy version of this cherished hometown tradition. Stay tuned for the details of our plan so you can be part of our Miracle on Main!
