There will be a Halloween celebration on the square this year thanks to Covington's public safety agencies.

The Covington fire and police departments and the Covington-Newton County 911 center will host "Trick & Treat on the Square" from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday on the square.

A number of businesses, including Square Perk, Scoops and Bradley's BBQ will be open and ready to welcome "Trick-and-Treaters," said Main Street Covington Director Josephine Kelly.

"The downtown is a great destination for Halloween. Citizens enjoy the activities in the downtown district and then trick-or-treat in the neighborhoods adjoining the downtown district," Kelly said Thursday.

Police Capt. Ken Malcom said the city's public safety organizations wanted to provide a safe alternative to traditional trick-or-treating.

"There has been an event on the town square on Halloween for a number of years and we decided to sponsor it this year. There are a number of locations throughout our community offering this service and we also wanted to also do something in the heart of our community," Malcom said.

First Baptist Church had planned to host a downtown event in partnership with Main Street Covington, but the event had to be canceled. Covington public safety agencies worked to fill the void.