Halloween trick-or-treating has all but given up the ghost in some neighborhoods, while in others, it's alive with costumed kids, glowing jack-o'-lanterns and the promise of a good candy haul.
Respondents to an informal survey for Block Talk, Patch's exclusive neighborhood etiquette column, were generally nostalgic for the sense of freedom, adventure, and community connection that defined traditional trick-or-treating. At the same time, they recognized that modern safety concerns, evolving family routines, and structured community events have fundamentally reshaped the Halloween experience.
Al, a Fredericksburg (Virginia) Patch reader who grew up in New Jersey in the 1960s, grieves the loss of both trick-or-treating and a bygone era.
"It was a different time then. We would roam for miles, always as a large group, about 10 of us … and we were never worried about our safety," he said.
Al and his buddies were the sons and daughters of immigrants who grew up proudly saluting the American flag and appreciating what their country had done for them.
"We learned its rich history and culture, along with its traditions. If you lived it, you understand," Ae said.
He added, "Young people are missing out on the things that made our youth so much fun — no computers or cell phones, just a bunch of kids with bumps and bruises enjoying each other's company, using our imagination to occupy our days."
Southeast-Brewster (New York) Patch reader AJ remembers the Halloween festivities of earlier years with great affection. Between 1994 and 2000, while living in a large condominium community, AJ hosted crowds of trick-or-treaters.
"Vanloads of kids arrived, and I would stand at the door for hours, hand out 100 goodie bags with chocolate and a small toy, and have to turn off the light when I ran out and could still hear groups walking around," AJ recalled. "I loved the creative costumes and toddlers to teens to grown-up chaperones shouting 'trick or treat!' and 'thank you!'"
However, relocation brought a dramatic change in participation.
"I moved twice, to small suburban neighborhoods, and each year the number dropped," AJ said. "Then I moved back to a large condo complex and got maybe one or two kids a year. I am now in a small complex up the road from my first one, and I think I have had two trick-or-treaters in five years. I miss them!"
Many communities have also embraced "trunk-or-treat" events, where the Halloween fun moves from neighborhood doorsteps to parking lots. Costumed kids make the rounds from one creatively decorated car trunk to another, collecting candy along the way. And unlike traditional trick-or-treating, these events aren't limited to Halloween night. They pop up throughout October.
"I am all in for the new, but children are missing out when they don't roam the neighborhood," said Joliet (Illinois) Patch reader Ms. Mona. "I just wish the old-fashioned Halloween would come back."
"We have many trunk-or-treats, but it's nothing like roaming the neighborhood and getting candy from all the houses," said Jenn, an Aberdeen (Maryland) Patch reader.
"We get a few [trick-or-treaters], but nothing like when I was a child or even when my children were young in the early 2000s," Jenn said. "Trunk-or-treating seems to be safer, but nothing beats a scary house with a yard decorated for ghost and goblins season!"
"Trunk-or-treat needs to die!" said BritBrit, a Northport (New York) Patch reader. "Halloween is one day, and that is October 31st, not the entire month of October."
A Merrick (New York) Patch reader said the focus on trunk-or-treat and themed parties is too often competition among parents to outspend each other on candy and decorations rather than creating lasting memories for children.
"I hate them. And don't let the people that live there make you think it's great," the reader said. "We shouldn't try to control how kids trick or treat or where they walk in a neighborhood. Parents, let's get real."
"There is no work involved for the kids," Vienna (Virginia) Patch Lynn said. "It's just a low-effort candy collection event."
East Haven (Connecticut) Patch reader Anna said trunk-or-treat events are "boring."
Trick-or-treating is still a fixture in Levittown (Pennsylvania) Patch reader Cece's Ewing, New Jersey, neighborhood.
"Kids come with buckets, bags, pillowcases, anything to carry their haul," she said. "We get more and more kids every year — little kids and big kids. If you are in costume, I don't mind you coming for candy. Most kids are polite, and it's a fun night for everyone."
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Cece and her family greet trick-or-treaters from their driveway. "It's fun to see everyone, and you don't have to keep jumping up to answer the door," she said.
Annapolis (Maryland) Patch reader Kathy said her neighborhood had trunk-or-treat events for a time, "but it's gone back to the kids going house-to-house."
The houses in Kathy's neighborhood are stretched far apart and have long driveways, making them unsuitable for unsupervised young children. A neighborhood website maintains a map of participating houses, and that adds a layer of confidence in Halloween safety.
"It's more organized," Kathy said of trick-or-treating's return to her neighborhood. "Parents are accompanying groups of children rather than just their own."
Palos Verdes (California) Patch reader OldLadyOnABike witnessed the evolution of Halloween traditions in her Los Angeles neighborhood, where she lives in her childhood home and cares for her mother.
"So, I have nearly 60 years of observing the same neighborhood Halloween. In the 1960s, it was awesome — loads of kids and parents. We kids canvassed the whole neighborhood; if you were 8-plus, you generally went with friends instead of parents. We were out from dusk till after 9 p.m."
Tainted candy scares in the 1970s and the demographic shift to fewer kids in the 1980s contributed to the waning popularity of trick-or-treating, she said.
"Now parents are paranoid about everything. Two-car families drive kids to school instead of them walking and knowing streets and neighbors," OldLadyOnABike said. "It's a shame. Kids should get out more, in general, in my opinion."
Keeping a Halloween tradition alive doesn't outweigh the need to keep kids safe, other readers said.
"For 22 years, we've been ready for the ghosts and goblins, but only one has come in all those years," said Stonington-Mystic (Connecticut) Patch reader CB, who added that it's a "good thing candy freezes well."
"Knocking on doors was a blast when I was a kid, but now there's so much uncertainty and fear and danger that trunk-or-treat is a good replacement," CB said. "Even then, be cautious."
New Richmond (Wisconsin) Patch AM reader Rosebud feels the same.
"I roamed the neighborhood unchaperoned, but I wouldn't let my kids do that even in the safest neighborhood," she said. "I'm sad to say, I support something more structured."
Trunk-or-treat events aren't problem-free.
"Cars can just drive away when the high school-age kids show up at parking lots. They don't trick-or-treat; they beg, demand or even just grab the candy from my hands."
Bound Brook (New Jersey) Patch AM reader Dj only gets a handful of trick-or-treaters as more organized events pop up.
"These are safer for the kids," Dj said. "I don't think the younger kids feel like they are missing out. I wish there were only the structured events."
Westhampton-Hampton Bays (New York) Patch reader Mary is ready to lay trick-or-treating to rest. She stopped taking her kids around the neighborhood to collect candy on Halloween because it conflicted with her faith.
"As a Bible-believing Christian, there has to be a conviction in your heart not to take part," Mary said. "When you think of certain evil that we see in the hearts of people today, it just amazes me as a society why we would want to copy this evil and call it entertainment for the little ones.
"When are we going to actually grow up? Do parents really think it's OK to take their children to a haunted house and maybe see a head with blood?" she continued. "C'mon, wake up, America, and take your kids to a farm stand instead and talk about God's goodness. …"
Block Talk is an exclusive Patch series on neighborhood etiquette — and readers provide the answers. If you have a topic you'd like us to consider, email beth.dalbey@patch.com with "Block Talk" as the subject line. Catch up on past columns.
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