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I live near an elementary school here in Southern California. A nice middle class neighborhood and only had 1 family show up the entire night. I was very disappointed since we normally have 50+ children all dressed up in their darling outfits. I feel bad that children are not getting to experience the fun of Halloween.

w

We live in a neighborhood out in the county. The town we're closest to moved Trick or Treating to Tuesday night because so many people go to church on Wednesday nights. My kids hit our neighborhood early, then we went into town to a friends neighborhood. Some streets were PACKED - kids in every yard - quantities like you'd see in a movie. Other streets were empty.

At home, my husband said we had very few visitors and finally closed up early.

Since it was a school night, we left the busy neighborhood about 7PM and headed home. Stopped by another neighborhood briefly so my youngest daughter could Trick or Treat at her best friend's house. By that time, it appeared most children were heading home.

Now unfortunately we have WAY TOO MUCH candy at my house. We'll let them enjoy it for several days, then we'll start doing stuff with it.

Some will go to school to be used at the fund-raising bake sale. I'll bring some to my office to go in a jar on my filing cabinet. Hard candy will be added to the shoe boxes we'll fill for Operation Christmas Child.

Sandy

I live in a medium-sized town in Texas (about 80,000). We had a lot of T/T between 6:00-7:30 and none after 7:30. They seem to come in groups this year and the kids were the cutest and best mannered that we've had in years. Not a single one, no matter how small, failed to say thank you.

We normally get a lot of older kids (12+) between 8-9 but we didn't have anyone who looked older than 10 this year.

Sandy

Roger

Took my five year old boy and my 3 1/2 year old girl trick or treating in Governor Grason II development on the Wye River on Maryland's eastern shore. Went from 6:30-7:45. Five straight houses on the river had nobody home to hand out candy to the tots. I'm sure one of the five houses had people in it- the light was on outside and almost every room had lights on. You're talking about $600,000 homes on the Wye. Very disappointed in those who would not provide Halloween cheer to the tots of the neighborhood.

LeighAnn

Here in East Tennessee, I had more treaters than I have ever had.....I also had one trickster who put grapes in my mailbox!!! I had a few friends who didn't take their children out door-to-door for trick-or-treating, but went to local fall festivals - which seem to be gaining in popularity every year. So this may also account for some of the drop-off.

Thyra

I live in the base of the Hollywood hills, 2 blocks from Sunset and 2 blocks from the mountains.
Not a trick or treater in sight. Our neighborhood is all out of work actors musicians and DINKS. Come to think of it, in our condo building of 250 units I think theres maybe 2 families with kids.

kam

Here in the suburban Bay area, we only had about 10. Normally I hand out 4-5 bags so that is down a lot. All of our grade/middle schools had big parties this year, I guess so the kids wouldn't need to trick or treat.

Judy

Hi Trick, last year we had about 150 kids. This year we had about 80. I have tons of Skittles and Starbursts left. Thank goodness I don't really like them. Now, if they were Hersheys Dark, that would be a differant matter!
I have to agree that the children were more mannerly, and in most cases more enthusiastic IMO. I can just imagine what the "Grinch that stole Halloween" will do for Christmas this year! Don't let him win!
Judy

S

Judy,
We didn't let the Grinch win. We (gasp) ate lunch at the mall yesterday, and (another gasp) bought my husband a new pair of shoes and (even another gasp) are still alive to tell about it!

Judy

S: That's the ticket!!! Go get em! Women of the US unite, and start shopping(and living)!!! "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" as FDR would say, and he was right!
Judy

RB

Here above metro ATL, we had a little less traffic than in years past, but still a respectable showing- I'd say around 65- have had high as 100 in past years. Most came about 7 p.m.; little tots around 6 p.m. Did not get as many older (13-up) visitors this year- usually get some really big kids. Last visitors came about 8:30. Enjoyed seeing the wide variety of costumes- did not see any police or firemen, but did see two in Army garb. Wed. is church night in these parts, so many children went to sponsored events. That might have impacted #s here. Glad so many had a good time last night.

Rachel

Reporting for suburban Buffalo NY--was an great Halloween here. Nice weather for a change (it always seems to rain or snow), beautiful full moon (of course all of the nutty clients are calling today), neighbors out in full force. We went thru at least 10 bags of candy, and my son who went trick or treating had at least 8-10 lbs of candy collected. Also had a great camp fire at a neighbors following the trick or treating. Don't live in fear.

trick

We live in rural Colorado and all the homes around here sit on a minimum of two acres. I was very amused last night to hear cars pull up in the driveway, the doors slam, and several little pairs of feet running as fast as they could up to our door. These goblins obviously had a lot of ground to cover and a limited amount of time to do so, so they were hustling! Too cute.

Ron

Where do you people get off thinking that anyone owes you candy? I think it is especially greedy to truck your kids to other neighborhoods after going through your own!
Did it occur to you that some people don't believe in handing out anything at Halloween?

ingrid

Reporting from the Maryland suburbs of DC: We had about the same number of kids as last year, around 60-70. Weather was perfect... There seemed to be more older kids than last years (7th and 8th graders).
As an aside: A small propeller plane was flying around for about 30 minutes in the evening (which freaked me out).

Susan

Ron, your message is cracking me up because I'm reminded of a recent hilarious episode of Larry David. Anyone see it? He opened the door to two teenage girls sans costume and refused to give them candy. They severely "tricked" him and he called the police the next day to make a report. The officer told him that on Halloween you enter into a verbal contract when you open the door and they say "trick or treat."

I'd like to know what particular candy everyone is sneaking from their kids' treat bags? Butterfingers for me!

Carmella

We don't normally get alot of trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood because there are more teenagers but I don't think we got less than usual. I live outside of Chicago and it was a great day. The one thing that surprises me with this thread is that our suburb and most of them in Chicago have curfews. trick-or-treating is (well, supposed to be) over at 7 p.m. Sometimes, we might get a few afterwards but it is rare. The days of trick-or-treating until 10 p.m. have been over here for awhile.

Dan

We generally don't get many cause we live on a busy street. Last night we got tons. Almost ran out of candy. My wife suggested that we start giving out fruit. I told her I'd go out in the street and throw the fruit through our window myself-cutting out the middle man.

Laura

I'm happy to report this Halloween birthday girl handed out two bags of candy! That's actually average in my Detroit suburb. My daughter collected 19 lbs in 1 1/2 hours! We weighed it. She inherited my ambitious trick or treating. I for one will NEVER abandon trick or treating and I pity those parents that do. How DARE you take that away from your children? Would you take away Christmas from them too if a terrorist threatened it? Think back to when you were kids and the excitement of it all. Sure, take them to a Halloween party but stop fretting about what could happen and get out there! Do you want Halloween to be what your grandchildren read in history books?

Leone

Very few kids out in Old Town Alexandria ... on what another noted was a perfect evening ... very fall-like with that full moon (someone said the first on Halloween in 40 plus years). I must say the Yankees were quite spooky ... taking the Series into November for the first time ever, and puliing it out in the bottom of the 10th. I think Derek Jeeter was the brightest pumpkin in the patch last night. Ciao