More than 50 first responder agencies are rolling into Sheffield Village this Saturday for the 6th Annual First Responders & Community Trunk or Treat, a free family event running from 4 to 7 p.m. at Phantom Fireworks, 4900 Transportation Drive. Costumes are encouraged, candy is guaranteed, and organizers say the whole thing is designed to put kids face-to-face with the police officers, firefighters and paramedics who serve their neighborhoods — in a parking lot, not a patrol car.
The event is hosted by Police Pictures, and the Lorain County Sheriff's Office helped spread the word on Facebook ahead of the weekend. Police Pictures is an Amherst-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2019. The group has also run initiatives like Frontline United, which supplies protective gear to local agencies.
This year's gathering is scheduled for Phantom Fireworks in Sheffield Village. The 5th annual event in October 2025 drew more than 2,500 attendees and roughly 30 participating agencies at Lake Erie Crushers Stadium in Avon, per a Police Pictures Facebook post — numbers that have since swelled to the 50-plus agencies now expected in Sheffield Village. This year's event is scheduled for Sheffield Village. It's a long way from the inaugural 2021 event, which drew an estimated 500 to 1,000 attendees with backing from just the Amherst, Avon and Wellington police departments, according to an earlier Police Pictures post.
What's Planned at Phantom Fireworks
Beyond trunk-or-treating at emergency vehicles, the Sheffield Village event will feature live DJ music, food trucks, light refreshments and a costume contest with prizes, including a Best Dressed Costume award, according to the Chronicle Telegram, which counted the gathering among the county's major autumn community fundraisers. Inflatables and face painting round out the activities. Spectator admission is completely free and the event will go on rain or shine, per CarCruiseFinder.com, though display space is reserved strictly for emergency vehicles operated by first responder agencies — private cars aren't part of the lineup.
The Lorain County Deputies Association is serving as the official Presenting Sponsor and Diamond Sponsor this year, a financial backing that organizers say keeps admission and activities free for families. Multiple local agencies, including the Sheffield Village Police Department, Lorain Police Department and Lorain County Sheriff's Office, have been co-promoting the event to build community relations and youth safety, according to posts shared across local police social media accounts.
Why Off-Street Trick-or-Treating Is Catching On
Events like this one tap into a broader public-safety push. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found trick-or-treaters face a 43% higher risk of pedestrian fatality on Halloween night compared with other evenings, with children ages 4 to 8 facing ten times the normal risk, as reported by the Associated Press. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has designated October as National Pedestrian Safety Month, citing federal data showing 7,314 pedestrian deaths nationwide in 2023, according to JGL Law. Controlled, off-street gatherings like Saturday's offer families an alternative to traditional door-to-door trick-or-treating along busy roads.
The event brings first responders and families together in Sheffield Village. The trunk-or-treat follows other recent Lorain County gatherings blending community outreach with family fun. Earlier this month, a La Grange car show in Illinois drew hundreds of fans and featured vehicle displays.
