When I was a kid, Halloween was my second favorite holiday, behind only Christmas. I think it must have been the candy.

Kids today get more and better candy (whole candy bars!) than we did, but there are also lots of other ways they can celebrate the holiday.

The Vera Cruz Halloween parade, a long-standing Upper Milford Township tradition, will be held Oct. 18. The parade forms 6 p.m. in Mystic Chain Park, 3718 Main Road East, and begins 7 p.m. The rain date is Oct. 19. Residents of Vera Cruz are asked to turn on their outside lights during the parade.

A group of local churches is once again sponsoring a Light the Night event to give local children an opportunity to celebrate Halloween safely. It will be held 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29 in the Upper Milford Township building.

October is also fire safety month and it will be an extra special month to honor the township’s two fire companies, which are both observing their 75th anniversary this year. Come join the celebration 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 14 at the township building. Bring the family for a day filled with demonstrations, opportunities to meet not only the firefighters from stations 19 and 28, but from neighboring municipalities as well. There will also be visits from the Emmaus Library, the Red Cross and a Medevac landing and demonstration 2 p.m.

Chestnut Hill Church will hold its annual yard/bake sale and recycling event 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 7, at the Lower Milford Fire Company, 1601 Limeport Pike, Coopersburg. For information, call 610-967-1975 or go to www.chestnuthillchurch.org.

Old Zionsville United Church of Christ, 5981 Fountain Road, will hold a homemade chicken pot pie dinner 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at the church. The menu includes chicken pot pie with homemade noodles, buttered carrots, pickled beets, applesauce, rolls, iced tea, coffee, tea and homemade cakes and pies.

There is a reduced price for children six to 12 years old. Takeout orders are available. For information, call Annie at 610-966-5242, Betty Lou at 610-966-2842 or the church office at 610-966-3601.

The dinner is sponsored by the Social and Aid Society.

Come out Oct. 14 for Harvest Fest at Salem United Methodist Church, 6440 Powder Valley Road, Zionsville. The event is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. There will be a bake sale, flea market items, light lunch and painted pumpkins available to purchase. The festival will be held rain or shine in the enclosed pavilion. For information, call 610-965-6796.

St. Peter’s Union Church, 7863 St. Peter’s Road, Macungie, will host its ninth annual baskets (and more!) bingo event Oct. 22. Doors open 11:30 a.m., with lunch being served, and bingo games begin 1 p.m. The 20 games of bingo feature items from Longaberger, Pampered Chef and more. There is a cost. Advance tickets are available at a discount, by calling Joy Weida at 610-845-9822.

The Western District Fire Company will serve an all-you-can-eat breakfast 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 5. All you care to eat. There are senior, adult and children’s prices. For information on the breakfast, call the fire company at 610-966-3541, or Carol Shade at 610-966-3902.

The Vera Cruz Community Association meets the second Thursday of each month, March through December. Meetings are held 7:30 p.m. at the Citizens Fire Company Social Hall, 4093 Main Road West, Emmaus. The next meeting is scheduled Oct. 12.

The Upper Milford Fire Company’s ladies auxiliary meets the first Monday of the month, 7 p.m. New members are always welcome.

The Ladies Auxiliary of Citizens Fire Company of Vera Cruz meets 7:30 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month at the Vera Cruz Fire Department Social Hall. They are always looking for new members. For information, call Emily, 610-972-6573 or email VeraCruzLadiesAux@VCFD28.com.

Vera Cruz senior citizens meet 1 p.m. the first and third Thursday of the month at the Vera Cruz Fire Company. All are welcome.

Lower Milford Township supervisors meet the first and third Thursday of the month, beginning 7:30 p.m. The first meeting, Oct. 5, will be a workshop and the second meeting, Oct. 19, is the regular business meeting. Action may be taken at both meetings.

Other Lower Milford meetings are as follows; unless otherwise noted, meetings begin 7:30 p.m.: the planning commission usually meets the first Monday of the month,; recreation and open space board, Oct. 11; historical commission meets the second Tuesday of the month, as needed. Check with the township office to find out if they will meet this month.

Upper Milford supervisors will meet 7 p.m. Oct. 5 and 19.

The Upper Milford Recreation Commission meets 7:30 p.m. the third Monday of the month, January through November. The next meeting is scheduled Oct. 16. The Upper Milford Open Space Committee meets 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month, but only when there is action to be taken. Check with the township office to find out if the committee is meeting.

The Upper Milford Planning Commission meets 7:30 p.m. the Monday prior to the first Thursday of every month unless that is a holiday.

The Joint Environmental Advisory Council meets 7 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month and alternates between Emmaus borough council chambers, 28 S. Fourth St., and the Upper Milford Township building. The council next meets Oct. 23 in Emmaus.

If you have news or information for this column, which runs the first Wednesday of every month, please call me at 610-838-8923 or email me at bruce.swan@rcn.com.