2026 Des Moines Metro 

Trick-or-Treat Guide 

Halloween is almost here, and if you're trying to figure out when the kids should put on their costumes and head out for candy, we've got you covered.

We've gathered the 2026 trick-or-treat dates and times for communities throughout the Des Moines metro and surrounding Central Iowa area.

Saturday, October 31, 2026

6:00–8:00 PM

Adel
Altoona
Ankeny
Bondurant
Carlisle
Clive
Dallas Center
Des Moines
De Soto
Grimes
Indianola
Johnston
Norwalk
Pleasant Hill
Polk City
Urbandale
Waukee
West Des Moines
Windsor Heights

Other Central Iowa Communities

Granger
Saturday, October 31 | 5:00–7:00 PM

Ames
Friday, October 30 | 5:30–7:30 PM

Gilbert
Friday, October 30 | 5:00–7:00 PM

Perry
Friday, October 30 | 6:00–8:00 PM

Runnells
Friday, October 30 | 6:00–8:00 PM

Winterset
Friday, October 30 | 5:00–7:00 PM

A Few Local Halloween Extras

Looking for something to do before trick-or-treat night?

Bondurant Chamber or Commerce and City of Bondurant Candy Crawl

The Station in Bondurant (old Fire Station Main St - Grant St)

Wednesday, October 28

5:30–7:00 p.m. 

Grimes Trunk or Treat
Sunday, October 25, 2026
2:00–4:00 PM
South Sports Complex

A Little Central Iowa Halloween History

If you're new to Central Iowa, you may notice something a little different about Halloween here.

For generations, many communities celebrated Beggars' Night on October 30, a tradition that dates back to 1938 in Des Moines. The idea was to give children a designated night for trick-or-treating and help separate the festivities from Halloween night itself.

But the tradition has been changing.

Bondurant was already ahead of that change, moving its community trick-or-treating to the last Saturday in October in recent years. That gave families a weekend night for trick-or-treating while keeping the community tradition alive.

Then came 2024.

Severe weather forced much of the Des Moines metro to postpone Beggars' Night from October 30 to Halloween night. It was the first time since 1938 that Des Moines children trick-or-treated on October 31. What began as a weather-related safety decision sparked a much larger conversation about whether the old Beggars' Night tradition still made sense for today's families.

Following community surveys and discussions, several cities chose to make the change permanent, moving trick-or-treating to Halloween night. Others, including Bondurant, continued with a Saturday tradition.

Each community has its own tradition, which is why we've put together this guide to help you know when the neighborhood candy hunt is happening where you live.

Before You Head Out

Turn your porch light on if you're welcoming trick-or-treaters, and keep an eye out for little ghosts and goblins crossing streets and driveways.

If you're heading out with the kids, bring a flashlight, watch for traffic, and have fun.

And don't forget to check your local city website before heading out in case weather or other circumstances cause a last-minute change.

2026 Trick-or-Treat Guide brought to you by Hutch4Home

We love being part of the communities we serve, and sometimes being a local real estate resource means sharing the things that have nothing to do with buying or selling a house.

Happy Halloween, Central Iowa!

Kris and Joni Hutchinson