Featured local event

For nearly 20 years, a simple idea has grown into one of Kernersville's favorite fall traditions. Every October, Bunker Hill United Methodist Church turns its grounds at the corner of Bunker Hill-Sandy Ridge Road and Highway 66 into a wonderland of decorated car trunks, bouncing children and community spirit. It's called Trunk or Treat, and it's where neighbors become friends and memories become traditions.

"We're gonna be putting on our probably 20th year of our annual Trunk or Treat that brings out the community," says Debbi Vandy, a church member whose voice brightens when she talks about the event. "We have pony rides, a bounce house. We have a trunk contest, a costume contest. We have candy for all, all kinds of games."

The church serves hot dogs, chips and drinks, with donations warmly accepted (a suggested $5 per meal), and "we also have some good old-fashioned popcorn," Vandy adds.

Trunk or Treat began before Vandy started attending Bunker Hill, but she knows the heart behind it. "It was long before I started attending the church, so I really can't give the background of how it got started, but I'm sure we have some very creative people in our church and love to bring community in," she explains. "So I'm sure this got started out of welcoming community and entertaining all of our youth."

That spirit of welcome has only grown stronger over the years. Today the event draws families from across Kernersville and neighboring communities, and the connections it creates last well beyond a single afternoon.

This year's Trunk or Treat runs from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31, but for the volunteers at Bunker Hill, the day starts much earlier. Setup begins that morning with the arrival of the bounce house, the arrangement of trunk spaces and all the details that turn a church parking lot into a celebration.

"We usually try to get around 25 decorated trunks, and the participants are always so enthusiastic," Vandy says. "They're decorated with lots of fun games, lots of fun themes. They even dress up in the characters. It gives the children a chance to walk through a lot of different places to play games and get candy."

The afternoon brings costume contests, trunk-decorating competitions and the kind of joyful chaos that only happens when children have pony rides and plenty of candy within reach. When 3 p.m. rolls around and the last families head home, the community spirit carries on as "everybody will pitch in together and get everything packed up and cleared out."

Want to be part of the fun? Anyone interested in helping with a trunk can call or text Wyndee Tarter at (336) 749-2723 for more information.

In a town with plenty of fall activities, Trunk or Treat has carved out its own special place. "I think for a church, we offer a lot of fun things to do," Vandy notes. "We always enjoy bringing in a lot of people. We enjoy feeding, giving everybody an opportunity to have something to eat. We always have great hot dogs."

It isn't just the activities or the food that keep families coming back. "It's gotten to be quite a tradition. I know I've brought my grandchildren there for several years in a row, and it's always fun to see the new kids and the kids from other communities that come out to join us," Vandy shares. The event has become part of many local families' fall routines, the kind of autumn ritual children remember long into adulthood.

Ask Vandy about her favorite Trunk or Treat moments, and she doesn't point to the biggest crowds or the most elaborate decorations. Instead, she lights up talking about the older members of the congregation. "I think getting to see some of our older congregation really getting into it. It's almost like they really plan out in advance what they're gonna be and how they're gonna dress up, and they do it to the T," she says. "So that's always so much fun, and I get so much enjoyment out of that."

It's a picture of community where generations come together not just to serve but to celebrate, and where grandparents and great-grandparents throw themselves into the fun with the same enthusiasm as the children running from trunk to trunk.

The community spirit at Bunker Hill extends beyond the October festivities. The day after Trunk or Treat, on Sunday, Nov. 1, the church observes All Saints Day. "This is where we will pause to remember and give thanks for the lives of those we have loved and lost," Vandy explains. "We do it during our worship service, and we light a candle in the memory of those that have been lost, and a bell is rung, and the name's announced for each person."

It's a reminder that the same community that gathers to celebrate also gathers to support one another through loss, and that the connections formed over hot dogs and candy corn run deeper than a single afternoon.

Asked what she most wants people to know about Bunker Hill United Methodist Church, Vandy keeps it simple: "We are very inviting to anyone and everyone. We want you to come as you are."

That invitation extends to Trunk or Treat and beyond. Whether you're a longtime Kernersville resident looking for a family-friendly fall activity, a newcomer hoping to meet your neighbors or someone searching for a church home, Bunker Hill's doors are open.

On Saturday, Oct. 31, join your neighbors at 1510 Bunker Hill-Sandy Ridge Road for an afternoon of games, treats and good old-fashioned community. Come for the pony rides and bounce house, stay for the hot dogs and fellowship, and see why this nearly 20-year tradition keeps bringing people together, one decorated trunk at a time.

There is no rain date, but a little bad weather won't stop the fun. If the weather doesn't cooperate, Trunk or Treat moves inside to the church's fellowship hall at the same time, 1 to 3 p.m.