Falls Church Kids Didn’t Let Storm Stop Their Search for Candy

Kristen Groves didn’t think for one minute that she wouldn’t get to trick or treating this year.

Groves, 9, of Falls Church, told her dad, Chris, that if it was still raining, they were still going trick or treating — but with an umbrella. Wednesday night, Chris didn’t need his umbrella, just a flashlight to keep track of his daughter and her friends.

“When I was a kid, it was ok for you to roam around to trick or treat at 5 or 6 years old,” Chris said. “Things have changed a lot.”

Dozens of families took to the streets in Falls Church Wednesday night in search of houses giving away candy. Some parents were surprised the storm didn’t ruin Halloween. At Kingsley Commons, a housing development in Falls Church, the office gave away candy to children just after school let out.

For the adults out Wednesday, the threat of Halloween being canceled was real. After Hurricane Sandy left puddles of rain and littered streets with tree branches and other debris, some parents said they feared some people wouldn’t want to give out candy.

Craig Spencer was more concerned about how to tell his 7-year-old son that they couldn’t go trick or treating this year.

“They were saying Sandy was going to do more damage than it did,” Spencer said. “All weekend I was thinking of what to do if the power was out and we couldn’t go out trick or treating but thankfully, I didn’t have to use any of my lame excuses.”