As miniature Spidermen and tiny Disney princesses begin to roam the Westerville sidewalks at 6 p.m. sharp, homeowners light up their homes, ready to hand out delicious delights.
Westerville works around the clock to offer all sorts of events and opportunities for its community to enjoy themselves. This city hosts numerous events that satisfy and entertain its residents, especially in the autumn and spooky season.
Spooky decorations saturate Westerville’s atmosphere with creativity, accompanied by children dressed in costumes. Smiles and laughter lighten the early dark skies, and parents grin as they watch their children eagerly run to the next house.
There is no age limit for Halloween in Westerville according to NBC4i.com: people and families of all ages can be found walking the sidewalks, while the retired couples await the doorbell to ring. The Westerville community encourages participation, creativity, and experience regardless of age and embraces its activities.
The Westerville and Columbus communities host trick-or-treating on the last Thursday of every October, often called “Beggar’s Night”. This tradition is often questioned, but the Columbus Dispatch explains that the tradition comes from another old tradition that Downtown Columbus started: an annual Halloween party on October 30, that began in the 1900’s.
Another reason trick-or-treating falls on that Thursday night, is all about convenience for families. The Dispatch explains how having this event on Thursday eliminates the possibilities of scheduling conflicts. This was decided in order to avoid Friday night football games, extracurriculars and weekend activities.
Whether it’s rain or shine, Haley Bottger (‘27) thoroughly enjoys being able to go trick-or-treating. “I always go with friends every year, and we still go in the rain. It’s just water, [we’re] not going to die,” she says.
However, for some people, a rainy night keeps them inside. Attendance for trick-or-treat nights goes down around 25% when it becomes rainy. Some people prefer a warm, comfortable Thursday night indoors, while others don’t mind wandering the wet sidewalks in search of sugary sweets.
For the 2025 trick-or-treating event in Westerville, the rainy forecast has already impacted plans. Only 23 out of 75 people that answered an Instagram poll said that they plan on going trick or treating this year, but 59 out of 81 people said they have a costume.
Westerville’s neighborhoods tend to carry on the Halloween spirit, as 64 out of 76 people said that their neighborhood participates in Halloween events, including trick-or-treat.
Josie Ryjewski (‘26) recognizes Halloween as her favorite holiday of the year. “I love making my own costumes, dressing up and all the decorations,” she says.
Trunk-or-treat is another event that branched off from the idea of trick-or-treating. It takes the concept of handing out candy and interacting with others, and puts it on wheels to make it mobile. Westerville hosts a variety of opportunities for children to have a fun, sugar-filled night.
Columbus Colony, a location where a Deaf community resides, offers a trick-or-treating event, where Westerville high school students have the chance to volunteer to hand out candy to Deaf children and sign with them. This opportunity creates a connection between communities, and overall a positive experience for children and teens.
Other traditions and events sprout from the Westerville and Columbus locations such as the Columbus Zoo’s “Boo at the Zoo” event where there are rides, animals and dining options for the month of October. Children and their families wander around the zoo enjoying the fall atmosphere and activities.
