Most Columbus-area suburbs will welcome trick-or-treaters from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, as central Ohio communities set their Beggars Night schedules for Halloween week, according to the Columbus Dispatch’s annual roundup of local times published Saturday.
Franklin County follows the most uniform pattern in the region. Most communities there go 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 29, but there are exceptions families should note before heading out: Bexley and Groveport both run earlier, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 29, and Madison Township also goes 5:30 to 7 p.m. that night.
Three Franklin County communities are holding their nights on Halloween itself, Friday, Oct. 31. Grandview Heights and Worthington both go 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 31, and Hamilton Township also chose Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m., giving families a second option if the Oct. 29 window does not work.
Delaware County keeps it simple this year: communities across the county will hold trick-or-treat from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 31, a single countywide window that covers the northern suburbs in one step.
Fairfield County is the most varied in the region. Lancaster goes 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, Amanda runs 5 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 31, and Rushville goes 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31, while Baltimore, Bremen, Carroll, Canal Winchester, Lithopolis and Violet Township all use Oct. 29 with start times between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Pleasantville and Thurston held their nights early, on Oct. 24.
In Licking County, most communities go on Oct. 29: Buckeye Lake, Etna Township, Granville, Heath, Hebron and Newark all run 5:30 to 7 p.m., Johnstown goes 6 to 7:30 p.m., and Pataskala holds its night on Oct. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Officials in past years have urged drivers to slow down on Beggars Night, asked families to keep costumes visible after dark, and reminded households that a porch light on is the traditional signal that a home is handing out candy. Checking your own community’s exact window before Thursday is the surest way to avoid knocking after the candy runs out.
Photo: Patrick Henry, CC BY