Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – Sept. 15, 2025 – With the continued growth of the annual Jonesboro Police Department (JPD) Trunk or Treat, multiple candy drives begin this week to keep up with the growing demand.
Starting on Monday, JPD will be accepting donations of individually wrapped candies, which can be dropped off at either the Jonesboro Police Department on 1001 S. Caraway Road or the Jonesboro Fire Department, Station 1, on 3215 E. Johnson Ave.
Amazon donations can also be shipped to the JPD at 1001 S. Caraway Road, Jonesboro, Arkansas 72401, or the JFD at 3215 E. Johnson Ave. Jonesboro, Arkansas 72405.
This year’s JPD Trunk or Treat will be Oct. 29, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the corner of Matthews Avenue and Union Street, in downtown Jonesboro. This free public event features fun, food, candy, toys, games, music and dancing. There will also be trolleys, hayrides, contests, prizes and more.
JPD public information official Sally Smith said since partnering with the First Baptist Church, the event has continuously grown, as has the need for candy.
“We came together and started partnering with them because we were doing these trunk or treats around Jonesboro,” Smith said. “First Baptist asked if we would consider partnering with them because they needed some more people to come in and help and we were like, ‘Sure, let’s do it.’ So, we decided to do it downtown and at their location and oh my goodness, it has grown into a big, big… just a Halloween block party.”
First Baptist Church children’s pastor and volunteer coordinator for the JPD Trunk or Treat event LeAnne Barnett said there will be plenty to do at the event, with of local businesses and organizations that will have small booths with games, activities, inflatables and more.
She said event coordinators expected 10,000 to 12,000 people this year.
“Then we also, of course, will have plenty of police and fire department and sheriffs on hand since this is kind of their event as well,” she said. “They’ll be mingling within the crowd and handing out candy and things as well, so we hope to provide a fun and safe night for the families of the community to come out and interact with different organizations, businesses, and of course, our local law enforcement and fire.”
Event coordinators are still looking for people to register booths or trunks, she said. To set up a trunk to hand out candy or volunteer, contact Barnett via email lbarnett@fbcjonesboro.org or Smith at (870) 935-5551.
One organization that volunteered its support last year, and continuing to this year, is the Jonesboro Young Professionals Network (JYPN).
According to JYPN board member and social chair Pedro Ramirez, the JYPN will be holding a candy drive, also starting this week. This is the first time that the JYPN has done a drive for the event.
The JYPN Candy Drive will be Sept. 15-19. Donations of bags of individually wrapped candy can be dropped off at the Jonesboro Regional Chamber of Commerce building, located at 1709 E. Nettleton Ave., during regular hours. Look for the JYPN Candy Monster.
“The biggest thing, obviously, with a trunk or treat is that we want to have enough candy for the kids. So, candy and volunteers are their two biggest items that they’re asking for us to help with and it happened to work out to where this month is actually our community service month,” Ramirez said.
Additionally, for every donation a person, business or team makes is entered to win a $50 gift card to Golden Grotto, with one drawing for JYPN members and another for the general public.
