Halloween is here and area youngsters will be hitting community streets Friday night to do their annual collection of candy.

As the fun of the night approaches, local health and safety officials have some basic tips to keep kids and guardians safe while having a good time. Carl Baker, Executive Director of the Mid-Illinois Chapter of the American Red Cross, says safety starts with the costumes. He says costumes that are too long can lead to a child falling and potentially hurting themselves.

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When it comes to costumes, Baker adds you want to find flame retardant costumes. He says many homes may have pumpkins that have internal candle-lighting, and accidents can happen with those.

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For people wanting to pass out candy this Halloween, Baker recommends keeping the porch area well lit and keeping it cleaned off. He also stresses the importance of keeping pets restrained in the event there kids that do not like dogs of cats.

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For young children wearing masks as part of their costumes, Baker encourages parents to have their kids at least lift those so they can see side-to-side as they cross streets and go from house to house.

Many communities in the area have set their trick or treating times as 5 pm to 8 pm Friday night. Those communities include Clinton, Monticello, Lincoln, Maroa, Bloomington, Heyworth, Mt. Pulaski, Latham, Warrensburg, Atlanta, McLean, Argenta, Oreana, Cerro Gordo, DeLand and Weldon. Farmer City has set their trick or treating times in the city as 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Bement, Champaign and Decatur have set their times as 6 to 8 pm. And LeRoy has set their trick or treating time from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.