Windsor families brave dreary rain for Halloween festivities

As the cool warmth of October autumn slowly makes way for the cold, cloudy rains of November, families across Windsor-Essex are bracing themselves for a wet night of Halloween celebrations. 

Thursday's weather forecast called for rain throughout the day — and though the entire city of Montreal decided to postpone Halloween for a day, no such decision was made in Windsor. 

Instead, parents like Ashley Vanskiver took part in the Downtown Windsor BIA's Halloween festivities coordinated with help from EarlyON Child and Family Centre Glengarry.

Vanskiver took to downtown Windsor's businesses along with her one-and-a-half-year-old son Wyatt. 

"I feel like they're only so little for so long, that you might as well let them enjoy it while they can," said Vanskiver. 

Jessica Desbien, who took her son Malakai trick-or-treating, said she was thankful that all she had to contend with was rain. 

"I remember a few years ago, it was actually snowing a little bit," she said. "So it was really cold, it was worse then. At least if it's wet and it's not so cold, you can handle it."

Though families embarked on the Downtown Windsor BIA's Halloween festivities, Stephanie Bell and Amy Ferguson, who were handing out candy inside Sterling Mutuals, said fewer children were participating in this year's event.

"We've had so many in the past years … and we have all this candy left," said Bell. 

Vanskiver, Desbien, Bell and Ferguson all said they planned on going trick-or-treating with their children later in the evening. 

"As a parent myself going out in this weather, I'm not looking forward to it," said Bell. "But I think you just have to stick it out and have fun and make the best of it."