Douglasville community changes Halloween tradition due to COVID-19

DOUGLASVILLE, Ga. - This has been an unusual year and despite the circumstances and of course the pandemic, one metro Atlanta community wanted to move forward with an annual Halloween tradition, with a little bit of a change.

The Tributary in Douglasville is closing its gate to the public this year. The community normally sees thousands of trick-or-treaters each Halloween with children as far away as Alabama swinging through the neighborhood. Last year, between 1,500 and 1,800 kids made the rounds in this suburban subdivision. They come by bus, car, and bike, starting at the community entrance.

This year, they aren’t allowing the normal 2,000 cars in, but are just doing residents only.

It's a neighborhood event with each house handing out $200 to $300 worth of candy, but like most places, it looks different this year thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

Celebrating a day early to avoid attracting large crowds on Saturday, residents put a new twist on trick-or-treating in 2020.

There were plenty of candy chutes, hand sanitizer, and self-service treats. A lot of effort to sugar-coat a sour situation and keep a tributary tradition alive.