One week from tonight, ghosts, goblins and likely a Lady GaGa or two will be out and about all over Vicksburg and Warren County. Official Halloween trick-or-treating hours will be from 5:30 until 7:30 p.m. on Sunday night.

The timing of having trick-or-treating is a bit quizzical to be on a Sunday night, but also practical in an attempt to limit juvenile shenanigans that usually coincide with Halloween being celebrated on a Saturday.

We urge everyone — from the smallest princess to parents and especially drivers — to be aware on Halloween night. Vicksburg Police and Warren County Sheriff’s deputies will be out in force. We implore the citizens of this county to use Halloween for fun and limit the nonsense.

A few tips to make Halloween safe and happy:

• Drivers slow down. For three hours in the dusk, costumed children can sometimes be hard to see.

• Parents stay close to the children. Don’t let them go to unlit houses or those of complete strangers. A child’s innocence must be tempered by an adult’s wisdom.

• Children have fun. Look at the other costumes and admire their creativity. Listen to your parents and don’t eat too many chocolate bars on Sunday night or you will have a tummy ache on Monday morning.

• Adult children who have whiskers on your faces, stay home and let the small kids enjoy this one. Few things ruin the Halloween spirit more than a baritoned, mustached man dressed as himself knocking on a door looking for free candy.

Halloween can be a fun night, or it can be a nightmare.

If everyone does what needs to be done and acts in an adult, professional manner, the children will be the beneficiaries.

We hope everyone acts as they should.