More than 2,400 children, parents, grandparents and Meridian Community College staff and students turned out Tuesday evening for the college’s annual Candy Cruise, held along the campus track surrounding the C.D. Smith Soccer Field.

In what has become a popular, family friendly event, Candy Cruise is hosted by the bookstore and sponsored by the MCC Foundation.

Late Tuesday afternoon, teams from various campus programs and student organizations set up booths along the track and offered participants candy and treats, beginning at 5 p.m for guests with special needs then opening to the general public at 5:30 p.m. Some even offered activities, such as the men’s basketball team giving trick-or-treaters the chance to make a basket at their Hoop Dreams tent.

Many of the teams were dressed in costume and stationed under tents with creative themes, including “The Magic School Bus,” the World of Lego, the Minions, Dr. Seuss characters with “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” mad scientists, Disney characters, Noah’s Ark and more. MCC’s dental hygiene students dressed as tooth fairies and passed out toothbrushes and toothpaste at the final tent.

MCC first introduced Candy Cruise in 2020 as a drive-through event during the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping to provide the community’s youngsters with a way to trick-or-treat while keeping a safe distance. That first event drew hundreds of cars and more than 1,000 participants. Since then, the college has turned Candy Cruise into an in-person community celebration at the MCC Track.