COLUMBUS (WCMH) — The director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has given kids the green light to trick-or-treat this year.

Rochelle Walensky said recently that the key to being safe is being outdoors in small groups.

Handing out candy is OK, too, according to Walensky, since COVID-19 exposure is defined as being within 6-feet of an infected person for 15 minutes or more. Brief interactions are just fine, according to the CDC.

Following are 2021 trick-or-treat dates for Columbus and central Ohio currently posted online. Please bookmark this page as it will be updated as new information becomes available:

• Ashville: Oct. 31, 4-5:30 p.m.  
• Athens: Oct. 25, 5:30-6:30 p.m.; Uptown Trick or Treat Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• Bexley: Oct. 28, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Blendon Township: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Bucyrus: Oct. 31, 2-4 p.m.
• Canal Winchester:  Oct. 28, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Centerburg: Oct. 31, 5:30-7 p.m. 
• Chillicothe: Oct. 28, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Circleville:  Oct. 30, 4-6 p.m.
• Columbus: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Delaware:  Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• Dublin: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Fairfield Township: Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• Fredericktown: Oct. 31, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Gahanna: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Genoa Township: Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• Grove City: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Groveport: Oct. 28, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Hamilton Township: Oct. 31, 4-6 p.m.
• Hilliard: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Lancaster: Oct. 28, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Liberty Township: Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• London: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Marion: Oct. 30, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Marysville: Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• Minerva Park: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Mount Sterling: TBD
• Mount Vernon: Oct. 30, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Nelsonville: Oct. 30, 5:30-8 p.m.
• New Albany: Oct. 31, 4-6 p.m. (date changed on Oct. 26)
• Newark: Oct. 28, 5:30-7 p.m.
• New Lexington: Date is up for vote on Oct. 4
• Orange Township: Oct. 28
• Pataskala: Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• Pickerington: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Plain City: Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m.
• Plumwood (Monroe Twp./Madison Cty.):  Oct. 30, 4 – 6 p.m.
• Powell: Oct. 31, 6 p.m.
• Prairie Township: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Reynoldsburg: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Richwood: Oct. 31, 5-7 p.m.
• Sedalia: Oct. 29, 3-5 p.m.
• Somerset: Oct. 28, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Sunbury: Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.
• Upper Arlington: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Waverly: Oct. 31, 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (American Legion truck or treat)
• Westerville: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• West Jefferson: Oct. 28, 5:30-7 p.m.
• Whitehall: Oct. 28, 6-8 p.m.
• Worthington: Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m.