Urbanism and car culture play a role in eroding the holiday tradition, but so too has the consolidation of trick-or-treat to destination neighborhoods via social media.
I think the core phenomenon of people traveling to popular Halloween spots isn't actually new, in the 90s and early 2000s, places like Old Towne Orange, Huntington Beach, and parts of LA drew crowds from all around for block parties, haunted houses, and even parades.
But it's most definitely not the same. Today, social media has amplified certain neighborhoods' reputations exponentially, often beyond what residents anticipated or intended and when crowds grow beyond planning capacity, it can create real problems.
Maybe the path forward is what some communities are already doing like embracing it intentionally with permits, partnerships, and proper planning rather than resisting what seems inevitable. The impulse to seek out special Halloween experiences has always been there; it just needs the right infrastructure to work for everyone.
Yes, for sure! It has long been a phenomenon. That's why I was hearing those urban legends about those neighborhoods on the other side of town as a kid. It's just that fewer of us actually pulled the trigger with trekking there back then. Now it is just normalized to do so. But ya, don't think I have the answer on how to reverse course. Inevitable, as you say, seems right unfortunately.
I live on a destination street and it is SO much fun - but I still totally agree with your point here. It's fun for me because I get to stay in my own neighborhood. I would be so bummed to have to drive somewhere else for my kids to trick or treat. Halloween has become yet another kid thing taken over by adults involving themselves too much (and by social media, consumerism, etc.).
Oh yes! I adored my old neighborhood that went all out. Certainly miss it. Ya, sad for the old days when even the regular neighborhoods got decent traction.
Thanks for the article. This is exactly what I’m seeing here in Columbia, SC. There is a wonderful street car suburb literally down the street from my neighborhood that is a destination neighborhood that takes all of the “traffic” away. My neighborhood does very little. I brought this up in a neighborhood meeting a bit ago and was told to “pick another holiday.”
Ya, it is crazy just how much of a vacuum they can be. You also bring up a good point in that destination neighborhoods usually have some kind of community organizing and even money thrown in to improve the experience. Just a lot of places aren't going to do that even if residents are still pretty into the holiday themselves.
This is such an interesting point! I had assumed my own flagging interest in Halloween was due to my kids leaving the nest, but now I'm thinking it's part of a bigger trend. We lived in one of those destination neighborhoods in Albuquerque: not quite as all-out as what you're showing here, but popular enough that we had families from all over the city. I had a front patio built on our lot as a community-building spot, and the moms would gather 'round a fire pit, each with our buckets of candy, and the kiddies would go person-to-person for their goodies. The dads took our own kids around the rest of the neighborhood. It was very convivial. I spent a lot on Halloween decorations, though clearly not as much as the people of Old Towne Orange! Then we moved and our particular street now isn't feeling the spooky vibes. We do get trick-or-treaters but it's like 1 every 15 minutes, just enough to upset the dog all over again. I haven't put out any decorations and this year, for the first, time, have considered turning off all our lights and maybe even going somewhere else for the evening just to get away from the dingdong-dingdong bark-bark-bark. Thought all that was just me but probably somewhere in my town, there is a destination neighborhood that's really hopping!
FWIW, I think you are 100% correct about the lameness of trunk-or-treat.
That sounds awesome! The front patios are really what do it for me when it comes to Halloween. And I will say, the Old Towne photos and vids come from the most intense street. So some parts of the neighborhood are closer to what you are describing.
It's sad, isn't it? With the move. I mean, these are not usually things we think about when we buy a place. But they can really have an impact on the rhythm of the year.
Ha thanks! I got a lot of heat for my initial trunk-or-treat take!
That's crazy that you got heat for it, I thought almost everyone agreed (except, like, Baptists) that trunk-or-treat was car-centric, helicopter-parent dysoptia! Shows the bubble I live in.
I guess people thought I was attacking parents personally for the choice (that's why I wrote the follow-up). Also, I should say a lot of people really like the criticism of trunk-or-treat, too!
In the suburb I grew up in, pre social media, everyone knew the wealthiest neighborhood had the best decorations and candy. But even when we trekked there to get the goods, we’d still start by traversing our neighborhood too. We knew who gave out what types of candy on our street, who made little toy candy planes, who would give an extra piece if you had a good costume. I’m not entirely sure why that secular neighborhood culture has declined. But as an adult I’ve done nothing in my apartment building to kindle it so I suppose I’m part of the shift too!
I think the core phenomenon of people traveling to popular Halloween spots isn't actually new, in the 90s and early 2000s, places like Old Towne Orange, Huntington Beach, and parts of LA drew crowds from all around for block parties, haunted houses, and even parades.
But it's most definitely not the same. Today, social media has amplified certain neighborhoods' reputations exponentially, often beyond what residents anticipated or intended and when crowds grow beyond planning capacity, it can create real problems.
Maybe the path forward is what some communities are already doing like embracing it intentionally with permits, partnerships, and proper planning rather than resisting what seems inevitable. The impulse to seek out special Halloween experiences has always been there; it just needs the right infrastructure to work for everyone.
Yes, for sure! It has long been a phenomenon. That's why I was hearing those urban legends about those neighborhoods on the other side of town as a kid. It's just that fewer of us actually pulled the trigger with trekking there back then. Now it is just normalized to do so. But ya, don't think I have the answer on how to reverse course. Inevitable, as you say, seems right unfortunately.
I live on a destination street and it is SO much fun - but I still totally agree with your point here. It's fun for me because I get to stay in my own neighborhood. I would be so bummed to have to drive somewhere else for my kids to trick or treat. Halloween has become yet another kid thing taken over by adults involving themselves too much (and by social media, consumerism, etc.).
Oh yes! I adored my old neighborhood that went all out. Certainly miss it. Ya, sad for the old days when even the regular neighborhoods got decent traction.
Thanks for the article. This is exactly what I’m seeing here in Columbia, SC. There is a wonderful street car suburb literally down the street from my neighborhood that is a destination neighborhood that takes all of the “traffic” away. My neighborhood does very little. I brought this up in a neighborhood meeting a bit ago and was told to “pick another holiday.”
Ya, it is crazy just how much of a vacuum they can be. You also bring up a good point in that destination neighborhoods usually have some kind of community organizing and even money thrown in to improve the experience. Just a lot of places aren't going to do that even if residents are still pretty into the holiday themselves.
This is such an interesting point! I had assumed my own flagging interest in Halloween was due to my kids leaving the nest, but now I'm thinking it's part of a bigger trend. We lived in one of those destination neighborhoods in Albuquerque: not quite as all-out as what you're showing here, but popular enough that we had families from all over the city. I had a front patio built on our lot as a community-building spot, and the moms would gather 'round a fire pit, each with our buckets of candy, and the kiddies would go person-to-person for their goodies. The dads took our own kids around the rest of the neighborhood. It was very convivial. I spent a lot on Halloween decorations, though clearly not as much as the people of Old Towne Orange! Then we moved and our particular street now isn't feeling the spooky vibes. We do get trick-or-treaters but it's like 1 every 15 minutes, just enough to upset the dog all over again. I haven't put out any decorations and this year, for the first, time, have considered turning off all our lights and maybe even going somewhere else for the evening just to get away from the dingdong-dingdong bark-bark-bark. Thought all that was just me but probably somewhere in my town, there is a destination neighborhood that's really hopping!
FWIW, I think you are 100% correct about the lameness of trunk-or-treat.
That sounds awesome! The front patios are really what do it for me when it comes to Halloween. And I will say, the Old Towne photos and vids come from the most intense street. So some parts of the neighborhood are closer to what you are describing.
It's sad, isn't it? With the move. I mean, these are not usually things we think about when we buy a place. But they can really have an impact on the rhythm of the year.
Ha thanks! I got a lot of heat for my initial trunk-or-treat take!
That's crazy that you got heat for it, I thought almost everyone agreed (except, like, Baptists) that trunk-or-treat was car-centric, helicopter-parent dysoptia! Shows the bubble I live in.
I guess people thought I was attacking parents personally for the choice (that's why I wrote the follow-up). Also, I should say a lot of people really like the criticism of trunk-or-treat, too!
In the suburb I grew up in, pre social media, everyone knew the wealthiest neighborhood had the best decorations and candy. But even when we trekked there to get the goods, we’d still start by traversing our neighborhood too. We knew who gave out what types of candy on our street, who made little toy candy planes, who would give an extra piece if you had a good costume. I’m not entirely sure why that secular neighborhood culture has declined. But as an adult I’ve done nothing in my apartment building to kindle it so I suppose I’m part of the shift too!