As food allergies in children become more prevalent, several local Simon centers have teamed up with FARE (Food Allergy & Research Education) to provide allergy-friendly options to children trick-or-treating this season. The initiative to add the "teal pumpkins," which represent stores that will have allergy-friendly or non-food treats, to traditional mall-wide trick-or-treating was spearheaded by Town Center at Cobb's director of marketing and business development, Shelly Weidner.
Weidner said all participating stores were given a branded sign with a teal pumpkin on it to make it easy for parents to identify the best stops for children with allergies.
Shelly's daughter, Alaina, suffers from food allergies, and she knows it is important to parents to have safe options. This year, Mall of Georgia, Sugarloaf Mills and North Georgia Premium Outlets will all have several stores featuring "teal pumpkin" treats. (Town Center at Cobb held their allergy-friendly trick-or-treating event last weekend). All of these events are free.
Here’s a look at trick-or-treating events coming up:
On Saturday, Oct. 29:
North Georgia Premium Outlets will host its annual Boo Bash Trick-or-Treating event from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. Area goons and goblins will enjoy center-wide trick-or-treating, tunes from DJ Crazy Mike in the Gazebo, games and more to celebrate the spook-tacular holiday. Stores participating in the trick-or-treating festivities will display an orange pumpkin sign in the store window; those with a teal pumpkin will offer allergy-friendly options for children under age 12. Parents can also get a sweet treat when they sign up for the VIP Shoppers Club. 800 Hwy 400 S. Dawsonville. 706-216-3609
Also on Saturday, Oct. 29:
Sugarloaf Mills will celebrate its annual Simon Kidgits Boo Bash from 5-7 p.m. in the Food Court. Activities will include Halloween and fall-themed crafts, spook-tacular giveaways and fun for the whole family! The celebration continues with a Mall-Wide Trick-or-Treat Extravaganza from 6-8 p.m. Stores participating in the trick-or-treating festivities will display an orange pumpkin sign in the store window; those with a teal pumpkin will offer allergy-friendly options. NOTE: For the safety and comfort of everyone in attendance, costumes can only be worn during event hours and may not include toy weapons, hoodies or masks.
5900 Sugarloaf Pkwy. Lawrenceville. 678-847-5000
On Monday, October 31:
Mall of Georgia will host ghoulishly good Mall Wide Trick-or-Treating beginning at 6 p.m. Participating stores will display an orange pumpkin sign in the store window; those with a teal pumpkin will offer allergy friendly, non-food options. Halloween photos will also be available for purchase in the JCPenney Court.
3333 Buford Drive. Buford. 770-271-9458
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