What time is trick or treating? 2026 hours explained

Halloween falls on Saturday in 2026 for the first time since 2020, giving families more time for costumes and candy.

There are no universal trick-or-treat hours, and schedules vary widely by community. However, usually trick-or-treating hours run between 4:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Communities are usually advised to follow local guidelines if there are any set trick-or-treating times. General standard hours for toddlers are 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., standard kickoff is 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., peak hours are 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and winding down is around 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

In New Jersey, there are no set hours for the state; rather, the town sets its schedule. In towns that have posted 2026 schedules, the most frequent time slot is between 3 and 8 p.m., according to the statewide database. 

Some places are changing their times around: Collingswood’s times are noon to 7 p.m.; Haddon Heights, 3 to 8 p.m.; and Medford, noon to 8 p.m. There are five towns in Ocean County: Toms River, Beachwood, Pine Beach, South Toms River and Island Heights, trick-or-treating one day earlier, from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, in order not to conflict with the yearly Toms River Halloween Parade.

Atlanta usually follows 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Boston schedueles it for 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Chicago observes 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. 

While in Houston it is for 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., in Los Angeles it is 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., New York City there’s 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Seattle observes 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Post advised some house-to-house advice: a light on the porch indicates participation, a dark one means moving on, and a kid gives a good knock but does not ring over and over again. She encouraged homeowners to allow children to pick their candies at their leisure.