DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — A candy ban has altered this year’s Halloween parade in Dubuque.
Police and parade organizers decided to bar participants from tossing candy into the crowd or handing it out to people along the route Monday.
Why the change? Safety. Parade organizer Abigail Degenhardt told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald that organizers wanted to prevent children from dashing into the street or pushing each other for the sweet — sometimes sour — treats.
Fifteen-year-old Erica Shireman is not happy about the organizers’ decision, saying “a big part of the reason I liked the parade was getting candy at the end.”
Jessica Donath has attended the parade for three decades and understands why the change was made. She finds it disappointing but also says, “Everyone is going to be safe now.”
