With a bit of hocus pocus on the part of the Central Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce and Warwick Police, Confreda Fields was transformed into a community pre-Halloween party Friday night for an estimated 500 children and adults.

“I worked with Lauren when [the chamber] first started doing movie nights,” said Sgt. Matthew Moretti said of Lauren Slocum, president and CEO of the chamber. With the help of community sponsors, the chamber has held a series of outdoor movies at Rocky Point Park beginning soon after the park was acquired by the state.

Initially, Moretti considered a police-sponsored trunk and treat event to commemorate Halloween, but then he talked to Slocum and a movie came to mind.

It turned out to be an ideal partnership. Slocum knows the mechanics of licensing a movie – of course, it was Disney’s “Hocus Pocus” – and the logistics of setting up an inflatable screen. Slocum called on chamber members as sponsors and promoted the event on the chamber website and social media. The police turned to Walmart, who Moretti calls a “100 percent community partner.” The two Warwick stores gave police permission to solicit donations of candy at the doors of their two Warwick stores.

Moretti said shoppers were exceedingly generous, donating more than enough candy to fill two recycling bins. Extra candy was sent over to Westbay Marketplace run by Westbay Community Action.

“It was an awesome night,” said Slocum.

“There’s been so much going on where people couldn’t go,” she said. This event, she pointed out, was free and outdoors allowing people to be spaced and feeling comfortable. There were food trucks and treats for the kids.

Once Moretti and Slocum agreed on a movie, they talked with Parks and Recreation, coming up with the Bend Street Confreda Field. Helping pulling everything together were Wave Federal Credit Union, BayCoast Bank, R.E. Coogan Heating, the Kent County Coalition and National Grid, who were financial and in-kind sponsors. The capital outlay was about $5,000, which included the movie license, equipment rentals, purchase of reflective trick or treat bags and other items, Slocum said.

Slocum, Moretti and the Fire Department are looking to hold another event for the Christmas.

“It’s important to be pulling the community together,” said Slocum. Moretti is thinking of a Thanksgiving food drive as well as coat and toy drives. He sees the sale of a police patch as a means of raising funds to help make it all happen.