Green and White Turns Orange and Black for Safe Halloween

The leaves have changed color, stores have stocked their shelves with cider and candy and Pumpkin Spice lattes have reclaimed their place in your mug. Halloween is just around the corner, and East Lansing has plenty of activities to occupy the Spidermen and Queen Elsas of your family.

Families are invited to visit Safe Halloween from 5pm- 7pm on Thursday, Oct. 29. The event will take place on M.A.C. Avenue between Elizabeth and Burcham, and the area will be closed to traffic.

Safe Halloween is an annual event hosted by MSU Greek Life, and partners with other student organizations and local businesses to provide free Halloween entertainment to local families. Of course, costumes are encouraged.

The event has been popular within the community since its inception, and External Relations Committee member Michael Kabbash said organizers intend to exceed expectations this year.

“There’s booths, bounce houses, crafts, Trick-or-Treating and giveaways” he said. “This year, we want Safe Halloween to be bigger. We want more of the community and student organizations to be represented.”

The event raises money for charity through business sponsorship. The charities are chosen by MSU’s Greek Life Philanthropy committee.

This year, three local charities were chosen to receive the donations: Small Talk Children’s Assessment Center, H.A.W.K and the Refugee Development Center in Lansing.

“We wanted to focus on smaller, local charities that make an impact within this region,” Kabbash said. “This way we can see ourselves making an impact on those charities.”

Safe Halloween is the only organized event each year that brings MSU Greek Life together with the East Lansing community, and Kabbash said it is an opportunity for Greek Life to show their appreciation to the city.

“Greek life gets to join the community and give back, which is what Greek life is all about,” he said. “Kids love it, they can come with their families, they can enjoy the lovely atmosphere. It’s a good way to show we care about the community.”

In addition to Safe Halloween, families can also enjoy the Great Pumpkin Walk, “Land of Oz” at the Wild Goose Inn and ArachnoBROADia! at the Broad Museum. All events will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29. More information about City-sponsored Halloween activities is available here.