Washington's free Halloween events span all eight wards tonight as mayor urges safety, night teams on patrol

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser is encouraging families to attend free, family-friendly Halloween events across all eight wards on Saturday, October 31. The Department of Parks and Recreation, DC Public Library, Metropolitan Police Department and the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement are all hosting events. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice will deploy Halloween Safety Go Teams from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. at 15 locations across the District; the teams are non-law-enforcement staff who engage with families, monitor events and de-escalate situations.

Library events today

Free library events today include trick-or-treating all day at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, plus a UDC professor's bat talk there from 1 to 2 p.m.; a monster movie matinee at Southwest Library from noon to 1:30 p.m.; a fall festival at Woodridge Library from noon to 5 p.m.; a used 'BOO-k' sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and pumpkin painting from 1 to 4 p.m. at Shepherd Park Library; a District Horror Creatives short film showcase at Northeast Library from 3 to 6 p.m.; and trick-or-treating from 3 to 5 p.m. at Petworth and Lamond-Riggs libraries. Most events require no RSVP.

Police 'Safe Haven' events and safety tips

The police department's Halloween Safe Haven events tonight include a haunted house at the First District station from 4 to 8 p.m., trunk-or-treating at the Second District station from 4 to 7 p.m., a haunted house at the Third District garage from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., and a harvest festival in the Sixth District from noon to 3 p.m. Police advise children to travel in small groups with a parent or authorized adult, wear bright, reflective, flame-retardant costumes, cross only at corners and crosswalks, stick to well-lit streets, stay on porches when asking for treats, never enter homes or strangers' cars, and have parents inspect all treats. Drivers should slow down after dark, watch for pedestrians emerging between parked cars, not look at their phones, and never drive under the influence. For emergencies call 911; anonymous tips can be texted to 50411 and suspicious activity reported at 202-727-9099.