Halloween night is almost here, and every year millions of children hit the streets to trick-or-treat, dragging candy bags and tired parents along. Trick-or-treating is a Halloween staple for many San Antonio children. This year, however, several Trinity students will be joining their numbers.

Echo Stellman, sophomore English major, and their service dog sidekick, Stardew, have already begun their trick-or-treating fun. They went trick-or-treating on Oct. 15 at a Halloween fair in The Colony on the north side, where Stardew wore a lobster costume and enjoyed what was possibly her very first year trick-or-treating, according to Stellman.

“She loved wearing her costume. The costume is made similar to her service vest, and [she] loved being able to be off-work and get petted by people,” Stellman said.

Stellman hasn’t picked out their costume yet, but the pair plans to trick-or-treat again near campus Halloween night. Stellman has gone trick-or-treating in the past, but it will be their first year doing so in San Antonio. On previous Halloweens, they’ve enjoyed participating in “Fright Night,” a family-friendly event in their hometown that they fondly remember.

“Most of the city comes and camps out by the lake together, so the entire field is filled with decorated campsites. There’s a competition, a haunted trail through the woods run by the local Boy Scouts … [a] barbeque for meals, free coffee and there’s a costume contest with local performances. They don’t do it much anymore, but when I was a kid that weekend was a huge event, and any memory related to that is probably my favorite [trick-or-treating memory],” Stellman said.

Despite these memories, most of the joy of the spooky season is quite recent for Stellman, who, in addition to trick-or-treating, plans on spending the night hanging out with friends and baking cookies.

“I am still learning how to like Halloween, but with all the events going around, I have grown to be slightly fond of it,” Stellman said.

First-year Sophia Mendoza is also thinking about trick-or-treating this Halloween, although for slightly different reasons.

“I am thinking of going trick-or-treating this Halloween because it is a fun experience to do with a group of friends. Plus, we can further explore San Antonio,” Mendoza said.

Like Stellman, she plans on sticking to neighborhoods near campus if she decides to go and is still in search of a costume. Nonetheless, she’s excited for the holiday.

“Halloween allows for a great time with friends and family by dressing up in silly costumes and getting free candy,” Mendoza said.

Reflecting on past trick-or-treating experiences, Mendoza expressed that, for her, some of the fun lies in the thrill too.

“I was around eight years old, and a person in a clown costume was chasing my cousins and I around the neighborhood. The clown eventually caught up to us and gave us king-sized candy. It was a fun and scary experience,” Mendoza said.

Although that memory occurred when she was a child, Mendoza is emphatic that trick-or-treating is not just for the little ones.

“People who think trick-or-treating is just for kids are lame. I think anyone can go trick-or-treating and with the right people, it is super fun,” Mendoza said.

Stellman and Mendoza both agree: it’s never too late to trick-or-treat.