Arizona trunk-or-treat brings Halloween fun to all abilities

An adaptive trunk-or-treat embraces the spirit of the season without the fear.

On the Sunday before Halloween, the parking lot of the Arizona Mountain Coffee in Show Low, Arizona, takes on a more whimsical appearance.

Cars are parked with their trunks open, festooned with colorful backdrops and the occasional Halloween inflatable. Many are flanked by tables offering candy, toys and other treats.

It’s all for the annual trunk-or-treat—an opportunity for members of the mountain’s disability community to have a Halloween experience that’s designed just for them.

Some 400 attendees, including participants—ranging from babies to age 57—and their loved ones spend the afternoon trick-or-treating and enjoying face painting, music and hotdogs served up from The Salvation Army’s mobile kitchen, among other treats.

It’s a tradition that’s played out for four years, led by a collaboration between Arizona Mountain Coffee, The Salvation Army White Mountain Service Center and WaFd Bank. The groups joined forces for the adaptive trunk-or-treat after prior collaborative efforts. The result was magical.

“You see the faces change from a little apprehensive to dancing with their friends,” said White Mountain (Arizona) Service Center Coordinator Maria Quinteros.

Over the years, the event has grown from a few cars to nearly 30—and they still welcome more. The only rules? No spookiness allowed.

“It can't be scary,” said Arizona Mountain Coffee Co-owner Heidi Brown. “The reason that they love this event is because they don't get to go out on Halloween night because it's too scary. It's too frightening.”

So, the groups hold the event in broad daylight and focus on creating a fun, uplifting atmosphere that’s entirely sensory-friendly.

“We designed it to where every aspect of it is something that they can enjoy without the fear creeping in,” said Quinteros. 

Last year, Quinteros watched as a pair of sisters in their 40s approached the event in the parking lot. One sister would take a couple steps and go back to the car. Their mother told Quinteros, “It took me an hour and a half to get them in the car at my house and then it took me another 45 minutes in the parking lot.”

Eventually the women were able to relax and enjoy the event, she said.

“They're not going someplace to be judged,” Brown said. “Where they go, it's a safe zone for them. It's all sensory. It's on their time, their movement; nobody forces them to go down a little row. They just go to each car however they want.”

For attendees who don’t want to walk through the crowds to trick-or-treat, there’s a coloring station. When the participants see their friends from school, Brown and Quinteros said they often start dancing and have a great time together.

“Just seeing the kids growing up and changing over the years and just seeing that we get to be a part of that, that's huge,” Brown said.

For Brown, the motivation to keep this event going—along with another similar event for Christmastime—is to honor the memory of her sister, Kimberly Tuers, who died unexpectedly shortly before attaining her dream of becoming a teacher. Brown said Tuers loved kids and the disability community.

The groups host the event the Sunday before Halloween because Brown’s business is closed Sundays, so the parking lot is vacant and safer. She opens the shop for bathroom access, and said it’s easy for wheelchairs to go in and out.

“There are so many different trunk-or-treat events that are up here, but I think ours stands out because it's their own trunk-or-treat,” said Brown. “We just accommodate to whatever they need.”

For the organizers, it’s about meeting needs for the families of those with disabilities.

“We have families that only come to ours because it's easier, it’s lighter, it's more sensible,” Quinteros said. “They just love it.”

While they try to keep everything out in the open, there is one major mystery each year. What will Brown’s husband, David’s, costume be?

In the past, he’s been Jack Sparrow. Last year, he was a stormtrooper.

“That went off like a gangbuster,’ Brown said.

This year, he was Boba Fett. And his dog? Grogu.