2014 Alternatives to Trick or Treating on Halloween Night
I have a runner in my family.
She is about 30″ tall. She has a limited but rapidly developing vocabulary which occasionally includes the words “no” and “stop” but these seem to fly out of her head whenever she is excited OR when she is outside. This makes walking on the sidewalk in our neighborhood particularly heart-pounding for me and when you add in lots of other children, costumes, candy AND a low-light situation…well, you can guess where I’m going with this.
Video evidence of my “runner”.
While we usually hit up a couple of our closest neighbors early in the evening for the traditional door-to-door trick or treating, it is not our primary means of celebrating Halloween. Therefore, we usually look for an “alternative” activity.
Maybe you too have a runner. Maybe you live in a rural area. Maybe you’ve recently gotten into an argument with your neighbor and it’s not the best time for you to go knocking on their door.
Whatever the reason, if you are also looking for a different way to celebrate Halloween this Friday evening there are lots of choices and we’ve got all the details (PLUS maps!). Enjoy and have a safe holiday.
Trick or Treat at the Library
Halloween is here again, which means it’s time to trick-or-treat your library! Visit all 3 floors for some tasty treats, and enjoy a scavenger hunt in Youth Services. Enjoy a spooktacular puppet show at 10:30AM and 3:30PM!
Date/Time:Â Oct. 31 from 9AM-4:30PM
Cost:Â FREE
Location: HMCPL –Â Main Branch (map)
More Info: 256-532-5982 or amatthys@hmcpl.org
Downtown Rescue Mission Trunk or Treat
Huntsville Christian Church and the Downtown Rescue Mission invite you to join them for an evening filled with family-friendly fun and treats! There will be inflatables, games and an appearance by the Chick-fil-A cow, 88.1 WAYFM will be there PLUS the Huntsville Fire Department will be in attendance.
Date/Time: Oct. 31 from 5:30-8:30PM
Cost:Â FREE
Location: 1400 Evangel Drive, Huntsville (map)
More Info: Website | Facebook
Publix & Kroger (Various Locations)
Each year local Publix & Kroger stores opens its doors to children dressed in costumes Halloween night to explore each department. They can decorate cookies in the bakery, play a game of golf in the produce section or get an ice cream cone in the frozen foods section. It’s fun. It’s cute and it’s free. The store also provides a treat bag at the front. Call your local store for details.
Mall-O-Ween (Parkway Place Mall & Madison Square Mall)
Looking for a safe, warm and/or dry place to do a little trick-or-treating? Visit the Parkway Place Mall or the Madison Square Mall from on Halloween night as retailers throughout the mall will offer special treats to little ghouls & goblins in a fun environment.
Date/Time: October 31Â at 6PM (while supplies last)
Cost: FREE
Location: Parkway Place Mall and Madison Square Mall
Website: www.parkwayplacemall.com or www.madisonsquaremall.com
Spooky Space Spectacular
The U.S. Space and Rocket Center invites you to join them for some spooktacular and spacey fun this Halloween. Enjoy the family-friendly movie, Hocus Pocus, (PG) at 6 p.m. in the Digital Theater. There will also be spellbinding simulators, a moon bounce, creepy crafts, out of this world trick or treats and much more! Finish the evening with a Kooky Costume Contest for all ages at 7:45 p.m.
Date/Time: Oct. 31st | 4-8PM
Cost:Â $20 per family or $5 per person
Location:Â One Tranquility Base (map)
More Info: www.spacecampstore.com | 256-721-7120
Willowbrook Baptist Church Fall Festival
Willowbrook’s annual Fall Festival comes complete with trunk or treat, hayride, carnival-style games and lots of fun! Free and open to the public. You can play outside, trunk or treat and still see a show and eat! Hot dog, hamburger, chili, pizza, sodas, and dessert @ 50 cents each item. Families Invited – Please bring a large bag of candy to donate. Happy Costumes welcome – NO SCARY ONES PLEASE! Park @ Grissom High School and ride shuttle bus!
Date/Time: Oct. 31st | 5-8PM
Cost: FREE
Location: 7625 Bailey Cove Road, Huntsville (map)
More Info: www.willowbrook.org | 256-883-0907
Halloween at Twickenham Square
Trunk or treating, live music, costumes and characters! As part of their mission to bring more fun (and families) to downtown Downtown Huntsville Inc. is putting on this event along with the new Publix and sponsors Artisan and Homewood Suites. Expect to find trick or treating at Publix along with glow sticks, pumpkin carving, and adult costume contests for the public at Homewood Suites by Hilton. The winners of the contests will receive a free weekend stay at the hotel.
Date/Time: October 31 | 5-8PM
Cost: FREE
Location: Twickenham Square (map)
Website: Facebook
Trick or Treating at Lowe Mill
Bring out your ghosts, ghouls and goblins – Trick-or-Treating at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment is BACK! Come celebrate Halloween with three floors of decorations, costumes, and candy. Kids are invited to come walk the historic mill building and trick-or-treat from participating open artist’s studios. Parents are encouraged to donate bags of candy upon entrance so artists will not run out of candy throughout the evening.
Date/Time: October 31 from 6-8PM
Cost: FREE (candy donation appreciated)
Location: 2211 Seminole Drive SW, Huntsville (map)
More Info: Website
Halloween on Main
Parents can bring their children to downtown Madison on Halloween for festivities that will include a costume parade, games, a haunted tunnel, and trick-or-treating on Main Street. Now in it’s third year, this event is sponsored by the City of Madison, the Madison Chamber of Commerce, and some Madison businesses. Parking is available on the lot behind Bandito Burrito.
Date/Time: October 31 from 5-7PM
Cost: FREE
Location: Downtown Madison (map)
More Info: 256-772-2557 or Website
Halloween Spooktacular @Insanity
The Beacon Hill Worship Center and Insanity Complex are joining together to put on this Halloween extravaganza which will include games, treats, adult and kid prizes and giveaways, a pie eating contest, and a trunk or treat from 6-8PM. Don’t forget to wear your costume (adults & kids) because there will be prizes for that too!
Date/Time: October 31 from 5-10PM
Cost: FREE
Location:Â 100 Skate Park Drive, Madison (map)
More Info: Website
Kidventure Halloween Party
It’s back! Visit the Creepy Classroom with black lights (we won’t tell you what’s in it~), free costume photos, and trunk-or-treating. We dare you to try the treats from our creepy foods table!
Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 31 from 6-9PM
Cost: Regular admission | FREE to members
Location: 500 Lanier Road, Suite D, Madison (map)
More Info:Â www.kidventure.biz
Even More Halloween Night Fun!
- Huntsville Police Precincts from 5-7PM. Officers and volunteers with Huntsville Community Watch will hand out treats at all three (3) Precincts, North, South and West. The West Precinct will feature a carnival from 5:30-7:30 PM while officers at the South Precinct will also have Halloween themed activities and hand out candy from 5-7PM. The North Precinct has been transformed into a haunted house and will be open for children in costume from 5 until 8PM. The North Precinct is located at 2105-B Mastin Lake Rd. The South Precinct is located at 7900 Bailey Cove Rd, and the West Precinct is located at 2110 Clinton Avenue.
- Home Depot (Various Locations): Home Depot is inviting children from across the Valley to visit their store for all their candy needs this Halloween. All three Madison County locations are offering candy to children who come in costumes. The South Huntsville location will have an in store trick-or-treat with associates dressed up and handing out candy to children starting at Noon on Friday. Both the Madison and North Huntsville locations will be offering candy to trick or treaters from 6-8PM.
- Hillwood Baptist Fall Festival (300 Kohler Rd, Huntsville, AL) from 6-8PM. FREE and open to the public. On the Front Lawn of Hillwood Baptist come and enjoy face painting, inflatables, hayrides, clowns, puppet shows, cake walk, and horse rides. And of course, LOTS OF CANDY!!
Rocket City Mom is a website about raising children in and around Huntsville, Alabama. Started in late 2010 by a local mom and newcomer to Huntsville, Rocket City Mom has grown into a thriving community of local parents and now boasts a staff of four, thirteen regular contributors, and tens of thousands of Tennessee Valley readers making it the #1 Parenting Resource in North Alabama.