While girls clad in t-shirts and shorts are the usual inhabitants of Sorority Row, for one night, witches, Disney characters, fairies and wizards will walk the streets of Magnolia and Colonial.
The Alabama Panhellenic Association, the National Panhellenic Council and the United Greek Council will welcome over 1,000 children to Sorority Row for Trick-or-Treat on Sorority Row on Monday, October 6 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Children up to age 12 are invited to dress up, bring their families and trick or treat all the way down Sorority Row.
Lindsay Rieland, a senior majoring in Marketing and director of Community Development and Outreach for the Alabama Panhellenic Association, has been working to put on this event for the Tuscaloosa community.
“Trick or Treat on Sorority Row is an annual event that we hold, and all of the Panhellenic chapters host all the children from the Tuscaloosa community to come out and trick or treat early,” Rieland said. “It’s the week before trick-or-treat so they get a little preparation for the actual night.”
Rieland said the event is so popular that Tuscaloosa children and families look forward to it for weeks.
“It’s quite a large crowd,” Rieland said. “These kids look for this event. We don’t have to promote it as much because they look for it in the news and online, so they’re ready for it every year.”
When the event was first held, it was only for the children of University faculty. Now, Trick-or-Treat is open to children from all over the area, and the event’s popularity continues to grow.
“When I was younger I used to live in Tuscaloosa, and my dad worked for the university, and [Trick-or-Treat on Sorority Row] used to be just faculty’s children,” Rieland said. “When I was younger I came, so it’s been going on for a long time.”
Sorority women dress up in costume, pass out candy and offer fun activities and games for the kids. Amelia Horine, a freshman majoring in nursing and member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, is looking forward to dressing up and participating in the event for the first time.
“I’m so excited to see all the little kids costumes and their enthusiastic smiles,” Horine said.
The College of Social Work, Harris Hall and Tutwiler Dorm are also participating in the Trick-or-Treat festivities. This year’s event is expecting anywhere from 1,000 to 1,500 children to ring in the Halloween spirit a week early, weather permitting.
Trick-or-Treat events will commence at 5:30 p.m. at the sorority houses on Magnolia and Colonial Drives. Costumes are encouraged, and children twelve and under are invited to attend.
