Should Chicago have official Halloween trick-or-treating hours?
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Candy bowls ready for the wave of trick-or-treaters. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, raising a question for Chicago families: What time should trick-or-treating begin?
Why it matters: Unlike many Chicago suburbs, the city doesn't announce official trick-or-treating hours, leaving families and neighborhoods to decide when the candy collecting kicks off.
The big picture: Suburbs have set Halloween hours this year between noon to 8pm, with some moving their schedules earlier because the holiday falls on a weekend.
- Schaumburg and Arlington Heights start at 3pm, while Oak Forest starts at 1pm and Summit at noon.
- Oak Park's village board actually debated the subject before settling on 3:30–8pm on Saturday. They even debated establishing rules for the next time Halloween falls on a Saturday.
- "My feeling is that 4pm is a late start on a Saturday for our little ones who will be really ready to go out," village president Vicky Scaman said at a recent meeting.
- Many suburbs wrap up trick-or-treating by 7 or 8pm.
Context: In Chicago, trick-or-treating traditionally takes place after school and continues until dark — or until houses run out of candy.
The intrigue: When we asked the mayor's office about standardizing trick-or-treating hours, officials declined to comment, instead pointing us to special daytime Halloween events in city parks.
What they're saying: In our reader poll, 57% of respondents favored sticking with a 4pm start, while 25% said neighborhoods should decide for themselves.
- "I've already gone over budget on candy, because I fear running out," reader Mary M. told us. "If trick-or-treating started earlier, I just don't think I could keep up with the candy demand."
The other side: "If you're not ready to receive kids, then turn off your porch light," reader Max E., who has two young trick-or-treaters, said. "We know how it works. We don't need to put guard rails around everything."
Meanwhile: Other readers favored an earlier start to give children more daylight and improve visibility for drivers.
The bottom line: One reader who grew up in Rogers Park remembers a Saturday Halloween in the 1970s.
- "You better believe that me and my friends took advantage of that and went all over Rogers Park all day and into the early evening! Good times!"
What's next: We'll tackle whether you should give candy to kids who aren't wearing costumes. On second thought, we're staying out of that one.