“Super Girl” Lily Martin, 4, of Cranberry Township runs ahead of her mom and sister to the next reading station Thursday evening at Cranberry's Halloween Outdoor Celebration. The free event included socially distanced trick-or-treating stations, the reading walk and an outdoor showing of a movie.

Witches, warriors, super heroes, princesses and a few junior first responders took over Cranberry Township Municipal Center Thursday, kicking off an early start to Halloween.

The township hosted a pandemic-friendly outdoor Halloween celebration featuring a candy graveyard of socially distanced trick-or-treat stations for children ages 3 to 8, a Halloween story walk and a screening of “The Addams Family” animated movie.

“We're happy to be able to provide something safe for families to do,” said township communications specialist J.W. Johnson. “The turnout was great. We didn't know what to expect (given the weather and the pandemic).”

Township organizers required masks and spaced the number of trick-or-treaters visiting stations. Treats were also dispensed using tongs to limit contact.“People were lined up before we even started,” Johnson said of the turnout. He estimated more than 100 children came out with their families. Guests spread out throughout the township's front parking lot and the park surrounding the one-room schoolhouse.For Laura Donaldson and her family, it was an opportunity to enjoy a night out. After her son, Landon, trick-or-treated, they set up a blanket to picnic with dinner from some of the food trucks at the event.“It was a nice activity, especially with all Halloween plans being so iffy, and things being canceled,” Donaldson said. With temperatures dropping and rain in the forecast, she wasn't sure if they'd hang around for the movie.Cranberry Township still plans to host its regular trick-or-treat night on Oct. 31.

Kash Kowalski, 3, trick-or-treats touch-free.