I was at my aunt's Sat.night. Trick or Treat was from 4 - 6pm. She had 4bags of candy, she gave out two apiece, and by 5:15pm. the kids stopped coming and she had appx.25pcs. left. It's a small allotment and she said she usually gets around 50-60 kids. Many houses had porch lights off. I bet only a few said "Trick or Treat!" but most said thank you, quite a few with no costumes and towards the end some really big kids.

We stopped trick or treating around age 12.

It has not started here yet on the West coast. I will be happy if we get 10. When the kids were little, I remember getting 200 one year and having to send DH out for more candy.

Our development was new then, and families were young. Now we are into empty nesters, and some houses are starting to sell to young families again.

Here in Houston the kids don't start trick or treating until it is dark...a very foreign thought to this Chicago native! We always went out RIGHT after school let out! When it turned dark, it was indoors for all the kids.

We used to get over 200 kids, but as the neighborhood is aging our turnout is more like 50 kids, give or take!

We have packs of peanut butter crackers, mini bags of pretzels and the small Twix bars. Kids should be ringing the bell in about an hour or so.

Yep no kids yet it is still daylight. Last year I only had a couple anyway so I doubt I will see much more than that this year.

Trick or treating here is from 5:30 to 7:30. In the six years I have lived here I have never had trick or treaters so I don't buy any candy.

It's just starting here. My friend's 2 grandkids just left, I don't expect many more... maybe 10 to 15.

Ours was 3:30-7pm. We had 650 pieces and ran out at 6pm.

Lights out - we've called it a night!

How do communities have trick or treat at 3:30? Don't people work? Ours always starts at sundown. Would be considered rude to ring the doorbell before then since families are lucky to get dinner on the table by 6.

We don't get any but every year I get nervous thinking maybe this year someone will come. I had to go grocery shopping today so I bought two large Milky Way bars just in case. I figured I could always freeze them and if I get a craving, they'll be there. LOL

It is 40 degrees and raining here. The usual number would be 20 to 30 in the 1 hour (6 to 7) trick treat time. We had only 4 kids and they were my next door neighbors 2 kids and 2 cousins that came with them. I had 24 bags of candy made up to hand out and some in reserve. Now, what am I gonna do with about 40 Rice Krispie treats, 30 Tootsie Pops and as many mini Three Muskateers Bars?

7:15 and 50ú and I've had 8 kids. All young and polite. All have said, "Thank you." New neighborhood for us so we didn't know what to expect.

Linda

None here, but we're in a gated 55+ community. I think the gates are more for keeping us contained at night rather than to keep people out :-)

We had 10 groups ring the doorbell - so maybe we had about 22 kids. Very disappointing.

we had none...haven't since we've been in this neighborhood and we are pretty far off the street as most of the houses are...it's ok...my kids are 20 and 24 and I'm passed it...but I do miss the fun of seeing the kids...

I feel terrible. We have lived in this Apt Bldg for 8 yrs. For the first 5, I have had candy ready, but none ever came, so I stopped being prepared. Tonight the doorbell rang and it was a cute little girl, (not sure what her costume was, but she was cute) and her Dad. I explained to hem that we never get any kids on Halloween, but told them to wait a second, and I dipped into my laundry quarters and game her 8 and said maybe Daddy could help her buy some goodies. She said Thankyou so very nicely. I do miss all the little hobgoblins we used to get at our Home.

and I got a WHOLE bag of candy to eat... :)

Wildchild--3:00 is actually late. When dd was in school, the schools let out at 1:30 and the kids could trick or treat immediately. And did, of course--LOL!

The rationale is that we don't want little children wandering around after dark. It's so much safer for them to go out after school. It's also so much cuter--you can actually see their adorable/scary/creepy costumes.

As to how do they do it? Halloween is HUGE around here. Most parents take off from work--at least a half day--so they can go to the school party/parade and then take their kids out. Almost all the kids I had at the door--including those up to middle school aged--were accompanied by an adult or two, often a father.

Dinner isn't a big problem. Most just have a pizza delivered or plan something simple like soup that just has to be heated up.

Guess it's just a regional thing--even when I was a kid (I'm 61) we always went out trick or treating right after we got home from our school Halloween Party.

Too many! I moved about 3 blocks but there's a big difference between being outside of town and being in town. I went through 64 goodie bags in no time. Then I had lollipops and Nerds in reserve for about 30 kids. Then I went through our personal stash - Rice Krispie treats, Oreos, pretzels or crackers with cheese, kettle corn, sixlets, every bag of fruit snacks in the house, every random bagged or wrapped piece of candy I could find. I finally gave up before 7:30 (Trick or Treat ran 6-8). All I had left were raisins and some cereal bars and I decided to just stop at that point. Kids don't ring doorbells here in town, people sit outside with candy and the trick or treaters just file by and collect it (saying Trick or Treat and thank you of course). It was really fun - next year I will be better prepared.

about 5 or 6 little ones got out of a car and ran to my door it was still light out I toldthem they were lucky that it wasn't dark.
DS in Fl has over 100 already

Same as usual....zip!

We shut the lights out at 6:30. Not sure how many we got. DH had to hand out candy for awhile before I got home. He said he didn't even get his shower in and they were showing up. I bought 12 big bags of candy and had about 20 pieces left when I turned off the lights. The kids were very polite this year and very cute, even the middle school kids. That was really nice to see.

Oh, I hope we don't get any. We never have before, so I never buy candy to give out, but I'm afraid some day someone will venture down our dark driveway and I'll have nothing to give them.

Trick or treating in the DAYLIGHT? I've never heard of that. (I've always lived in Iowa or Missouri). When I was a kid, we may have started as early as 5:30 or so, just about dusk.

We have had none - we live in the country. Our neighbors across the road said they were too old this year - they are 14 and 10. But my daughter-in-law texted me a picture of my grandson getting ready to go trick or treating. Too bad they live so far away from me.

It's 9:10 and I got a grand total of 10.

Linda

We ares still getting them. It's after 9 pm and a school night. We probably got about 100 tonight. Not sure. I took the kids around the neighborhood. Dh handed out candy. We stopped by a party first.

Cutest little one who came to my door -- in her dad's arms -- was a not-quite-a-toddler-yet dressed in a black and white "cow" outfit.

I usually insist that the kids at least say "Trick or treat!" -- I mean, is that too hard in exchange for free candy??

But for this little cutie, I just said, "Can you say "MOOOO"?"
And she did! (She got double candy -- reward for her parents!)

Had a few dozen kids in my street of the subdivision. Went through a bag of regular Starbursts, a bag of the gummy/liquid center Starbursts, and a bag and a half or so of "fun size" Milky Ways. (I give each kid 2 pieces; toward the end I let them take from the big bag, so they get more.)

The rest will go into the candy jar at work tomorrow.

I wish we had a time designated for trick-or-treating. I think some -- both young and old -- started at 5 (which was OK for me, cuz I was home all day today). By 8, I just wanted to shut the lights off and go relax, but a few latecomers got me!

We have less than ten tonight....mostly kids in our immediate neighborhood.
And I was happy they all remembered to say thank you.

I'm guessing that we had between 70 and 80.
They were adorable and well mannered. We don't trick or treat until evening here, so I'm also surprised by the daylight activity.

We had about 20, which is about 15 more than the last 2 years. lol

Uh, I;ve never heard of "trick or treating times". It just starts here usually when it's dark. Tonight my neighbor's little girl came over with Mom and puppy around 530.. then she came back with her big sister! lol

We had 25 kids but that is good for us as most people in our area are retired.

Eighty five

We had only 4. Our trick or treating starts at dark, and one 10 year old boy came about 7:30. About 45 minutes later, 3 little girls about 6 or 7 came to the door, and their pumpkin "buckets" were quite full. Both groups had parents waiting on the sidewalk. I think I will buy only 1 bag of candies from now on for Halloweens that are on school nights.

It's 9:15 p.m. now and I haven't had one. I really thought with all of the new children in the neighborhood, I'd at least get a few. I'll give it until 10:00 p.m. and then pack it in. Last year, I gave up at 9:00 p.m. and wouldn't you know that's when the few kids came. I don't know why they were out so late because they were elementary school aged (with parents, of course).

Azzalea - That sounds like so much fun with the community getting involved like that.

I guess it is a regional thing. I am right behind you in age ( I'm 60) and even when I was a child I remember being so impatient to go out and being told we had to wait until folks finished their dinner.

Where I live it is mostly 2 working parents and you seldom even see kids out at all after school. My kids were the last generation around here to have a mom at home and get to play outside with the neighbors every day. Some newer parents I see these days are trying to go back to parenting their own kids but it's very hard with this economy and the cost of living here.

We had a lot of kids driven into our neighborhood. In the past I would have not liked it but with so many dark houses and so few people getting into the spirit I am only too happy to have kiddos from anywhere knock on our door.

Your area sounds like a blast.

I was very disappointed tonight; I had only 12 children. All but two older girls with adults. There were no family groups complete with the dogs, tonight. I always have a stash of Milk Bones ready for the monster doggies. Harry and Sam were glad to see them go back into the box, some of them, anyway. LOL

The trick-or-treating time here in Larimore is 6-8 p.m.

Wes was in town (the 'real' town, Grand Forks) today and picked up the 15 bags of candy I wanted from Wal-Mart. I didn't count the pieces or make up goodie bags this year. I just filled the big salad bowl with candy and topped it off as needed.

I didn't get the first kiddo until after 6:30 p.m. I gave him - and all the other children - big handsfull of candy.

It's been unseasonably mild here all of October. Wes and I sat outside on the front deck, in long sleeved shirts, all evening. We just knew there would be a big showing of the kids. It's Halloween and there is no snow on the ground; the temps were in the high 40s, and the mild breeze was from the south! Unbelieveable. Normally the little ones are Trick-or-Treating in snowsuits or parkas.

Even after giving each kid big handsfull of candy, I still have five bags left over.

I wonder if WM will take the unopened bags back???

We started getting the youngest ones at dusk and the older ones after dark. I think we had about twenty-five and all of them were polite and said "thank you". Most came by 7:30 and we closed the door around 8:15. I always enjoy the children and wish we had more. Occasionally, an adult who trick or treated at our house as a child will come by with their children and introduce them to me. I love that!

Trick or Treat hour ran from 5 to 8 here. We had 335-340 Trick or Treaters by 7. All of our candy was gone so we shut the lights off then! Wow, were there every a BUNCH of cute ones this year! Our 6 year old grandson got tired of trick or treating, so they swung back by our house a second time and he stayed and helped hand out treats. He did a great job and I was just amazed as he said 'you're welcome' in reply to at least almost every thank you he received. What a polite little man he was!

Not only did our trick or treating start at 3:30, but elementary aged kids had been able to wear their costumes to school so they were ready to go once school let out. I live in a city where residents are encouraged to have block parties, two per year. Both last year and this year, our second block party was on Halloween. The city drops off barricades which allow our block to shut off the street to car traffic all day. Doing this hasn't made a speck of difference to the amount of foot traffic. We do this for the reasons Azzalea mentioned - safety.

DH works for a company that closes at 1pm on Halloween so that employees can go home andspend time with their families. He started with passing out candy and then when I got home at 4:45, I took over.

We saw a lot of best costumes, but one of the top ones was on a boy who looked to be about 10 yrs old. It's hard to describe, but he was wearing an
overcoat that was framed so that it was above his body. His head wasn't in the neck of the coat - nothing was coming out of the neck except the upright rod that was framing the coat. He had a silver plate under
his chin and it was dripping with something red. The effect was that he'd had his head chopped off and he was carrying it on that plate. It was very clever.

And today it's back to the non-fantasy world!

We only got 24, last year we got aaround 50. But the weather was terrible - extremely windy, raining sideways (LOL) and cold - just above freezing.

I do love hearing about the different customs in different areas.

Someone said they'd never heard of 'times' for trick or treating. Around here, all towns determine what hours trick or treating is allowed. It's posted in the newspaper. All are generally after school and early evening--it's just not encouraged for kids to go out after dark.

Another thing our town does (but not all do this) is to have a HUGE town parade and celebration on Mischief Night to give the kids something positive to do. It works pretty well--this was the first year we'd been victimized by any mischief for about 20 years--and it was only a little soap on DH's truck windows. But back to the parade--the high school band marches, so do some community groups, and then anyone who wants to march in their costumes does. A lot of the merchants on the parade route have activities and treats for the kids. It's a very loosely organized parade, but it's a lot of fun for the kids. DD--who is now in her 30's and lives out of town returns for it every year.

Hurray for all the polite kids!!!

We got none...but I get my kidlet fix at work every day. Some of them are REAL little monsters :)

Not even one! Sigh.......

Alyssa was the only one we had. She was dressed like a pumpkin. Usually we don't get any. Since she is still a baby I gave her a little book. The day before I gave her a toy. The hours in the near by town for trick or treating were from 4 till 8 p.m. I like this idea for tiny ones, have friends and family come to your house to see the little one dressed up and bring the goodies to the little ones. Serve some cup cakes and such to your guests. A girl from church did this as her baby is just a year old. I thought it a great idea.

Sue

paula pa - too funny! I can picture your anxiety while hunting treats. ha ha Nice posts from everyone, trick or treat is always such a great memory for most people. I like the idea of passing out dog biscuits to the dogs!

We left 60 treat bags on our stoop, then headed for the eye doctor. By dark, only 5 were left. But at least we had "enough". One year I ran out, went to the store and they had nothing but hard candy left. Sourballs, anyone? Last year we had loads of leftovers. Good thing I bought my favorites, Baby Ruth and Butterfinger.

We never get any here

well last year we got one or 2, I always see this one cute little boy that lives up the street he comes by every year and he came again this year he was dressed up in a black cape and had glow in the dark paint on his face like a skeleton very cute it actually scared me when I opened the door. On a sad note his father passed away suddenly in his sleep a few months ago and the man was only in his 40's. Mom was with him last night and was also in costume. She is always so sweet.

This year we had 5 groups so quite a bit more for us, probably 8 in all.

One little girl dressed as a princess was oh so cute she wanted to come in and play with my little dog, I had her all dressed up in her princess dress too LOL.

We had them till around 9pm they started I think about 7pm which is pretty normal here.

Didn't buy, as after six years here at the farm with no "ToT"ers, figured I was safe ... but had some chocolate chips in a bag if someone showed.

I used to hear that it was "Tricks for Treats" ... you sing a song, do a dance, recite, etc. and get a treat.

But now it seems that they figure that they get the goods ... for nothing.

ole joyful

129 here. I had candy for 164, I ate a bag of M&Ms, DH ate two, and I have 27 left and 5 hershey bars.

Very cute and well mannered kids, even the oldest. As one little boy was leaving, I told him how great his costume was, and he said 'I know'. :) Had another who was too little to say trick or treat, but did manage an understandable Thank you when prompted by his Mom.

The rain held off and I think a fun night for the kids. They began coming at 6 here (the little boy from across the street dressed as Scooby Doo was first) and I turned of the lights at 9 after not having any children for a good 20 minutes or so.

I live in a town of about 50 people. I had one trick or treater and when she knocked I was wondering who it was as we very seldom have company. When I opened the door I was shocked. I had forgotten all about it. The only candy I had in the house was 2 rolls of SMARTIES. I had to go and get them for her. Then my husband came home with some candy but we never got anymore kids.