October brings Halloween, but it also brings harsh weather conditions. It can be difficult for people to trick or treat outside in the bad weather, but luckily, the Hampton Inn has Athens residents covered.
The Hampton Inn at 986 E. State St. is hosting A Happy Hampton Halloween Trick-or-Treat Tuesday as a way to engage Athens residents and provide an alternative to outdoor trick-or-treating.
Children are encouraged to come trick or treat from room to room at the hotel, getting candy that has been donated by Athens residents or paid for by the hotel employees.
Lindsay Barnett, general manager of the Hampton Inn, is in charge of the event, taking the lead on planning and organizing.
“Something we strive for is to be involved in the community,” Barnett said. “Most of our patrons are from outside of the community, so we’re always looking for ways to stay connected to our local people. This is a way we can provide a safe and fun environment for families to celebrate one of our favorite holidays.”
This is the second time the inn has hosted the event, but it intends to make it an annual occurrence. Barnett brought the event to the Athens Hampton Inn after having participated in the event at previous hotels.
With Athens residential engagement on her mind, Barnett encourages anyone around the area to come to the event. Hotel residents are, of course, welcome to participate, but people don’t have to be staying at the hotel to participate in the Halloween festivities.
Jake Backus, director of inside sales at the Hampton Inn, is helping to plan the event for his first time and loves seeing the parents and their children have fun.
“It’s always nice to have a place where people feel safe to bring their kids, and having a reputable and indoor location in the area, I think it’ll be good for parents to bring their kids and have a good time,” Bakus said.
The hotel staff, along with their friends and family, decorates the rooms with different themes to immerse children in the Halloween experience. For example, one room would be decorated with a zombie theme, and another room would have a castle theme.
For Bakus, the rooms are the best part of the entire event.
“Getting to see the rooms is so cool and unique,” Bakus said. “No matter where you go, you’re going to get something completely different.”
The rooms and candy aren’t the only activities at the event. The main lobby is filled with crafts for children to make and a Halloween-themed snack. Last year, the snack was an apple with caramel dip.
Barnett’s favorite part is passing out the candy because she loves to see the excitement on the children’s faces.
“I get a lot of enjoyment out of it, and I don’t do it at home, so it’s nice to do here,” Barnett said. “Seeing the excitement on the kids’ faces when they’re in the hotel, which is something that not a lot of kids get to experience, and going from room to room with all the decorations is so enjoyable for me.”
Barnett knows that due to various reasons, some children can’t go trick-or-treating outside, so she loves this event because it provides a safe and indoor alternative for children to have fun on Halloween.
“Not all children are able to go trick-or-treating outside for various reasons, as far as sensory issues or mobility issues,” Barnett said. “This creates an opportunity for them to go door to door at the hotel and still feel like they’re going trick-or-treating.”
