Downtown Eau Claire, either during the Jurassic Period or on Halloween in 2018.

As COVID-19 continues to complicate our lives, Downtown Eau Claire Inc. has decided not to host traditional downtown trick-or-treating this year. However, that doesn’t mean that Halloween will go uncelebrated in the downtown business district: DECI is planning its first-ever Halloween Hop from 9am to 5pm on Saturday, Oct. 31. This special downtown shopping day will include downtown businesses spilling out onto the sidewalk (if the weather cooperates, of course) with “deals and steals” for customers, as well as a window-decorating competition (the winning business will receive $1,000 in free advertising) and an online costume contest with prizes from downtown businesses. To learn more, and to vote in the window-decorating competition, visit www.downtowneauclaire.org/halloweenhop.