Everything You Need to Know About Trunk-or-Treating

You're familiar with traditional trick-or-treating, but there's a relatively recent Halloween tradition that might be catching your attention: trunk-or-treat. Designed as a safer option compared to door-to-door trick-or-treating, it's quickly becoming a go-to choice for families, especially those with young children. Whether you're planning to attend a local trunk-or-treat event or thinking of hosting one yourself, here's what you need to know.

What Exactly Is Trunk-or-Treat?

Participants gather their cars in a parking lot and transform their trunks into Halloween-themed displays, whether spooky, funny, or sweet. Kids move from car to car, collecting treats, playing games, and enjoying all sorts of Halloween fun. It's a modern twist on the classic door-to-door trick-or-treating that eliminates the need to roam through neighborhoods after dark and can be a family-inclusive event.

What Is the Origin of Trunk-or-Treat?

Trunk-or-treat is believed to have originated in the 1990s with church groups looking for a safe and enjoyable alternative to traditional trick-or-treating. Over time, the concept gained popularity and was adopted by various other community groups.

How Do You Plan a Trunk-or-Treat Event?

Most trunk-or-treat gatherings are organized by a group, such as a school, church, scout troop, or as part of a charity fundraiser. If you're responsible for organizing a trunk-or-treat, here’s what you need to do to make it a success:

Select a location

A spacious parking lot is ideal for hosting a trunk-or-treat event. It's best if the lot is fenced or has another form of enclosure to allow kids to roam freely without straying too far. Additionally, make sure there are distinct areas designated for both the trunk-or-treat cars and for participants' regular vehicles. Don't forget to provide easy access to restrooms and enough trash cans to handle all the candy wrappers.

Pick a date

While Halloween on October 31 is the traditional day, many organizations choose to hold their trunk-or-treat events on different weekends in October. This not only gives kids a chance to wear their costumes multiple times but also provides more opportunities for candy collection. Consider setting up a rain date in case the unpredictable fall weather interferes.

Establish the event guidelines

Is your trunk-or-treat an open, free event for the community, or will you be selling tickets to raise funds for your cause? Will you be providing the candy, or should each participating car bring their own? How many vehicles can the lot comfortably accommodate, while still leaving enough space for guests to socialize? And are you planning to offer awards for the most creative or spine-chilling car decorations?

Spread the word

Make sure to advertise the trunk-or-treat well in advance. This gives you the best chance of high turnout and gives participants time to design some truly amazing trunks.

Recruit volunteers

You'll need extra help for various tasks: setting up, managing the ticket/check-in area, running the treat stations, distributing drinks, judging the vehicles (if there’s a contest), and, of course, cleaning up. Even with trash cans around, the area will likely be littered with the remnants of the fun—plus the occasional Batman mask or magic wand left behind.

How to Create an Impressive Trunk-or-Treat Display for Your Vehicle

While it's fun to simply show up and let your kids enjoy the decorated vehicles (and the bounty of candy), creating an eye-catching design can make the event even more exciting—and possibly win you a prize. Here's a guide to crafting a memorable trunk-or-treat setup.

Let your costumes inspire your trunk-or-treat theme

If your group is dressing as Barbies and Kens, a pink-themed vehicle might be a better fit than a creepy haunted house. Choose a theme that complements your family’s costumes—whether that’s a spooky setup for a zombie crew, or a fairytale castle for your Disney princesses.

Think about your audience

When it comes to spooky decorations, remember that most trunk-or-treats are aimed at elementary-aged kids, so you don't want to go too extreme with the scares. Keep the atmosphere light-hearted and fun to appeal to all ages.

Include something interactive

The best trunk-or-treat displays feature an interactive element, such as a carnival-style game (like tossing beanbags into a monster’s mouth), a simple craft activity, or even a collection of "creepy" items for your guests to touch with their eyes closed. (Are those squishy peeled grapes... or eyeballs?)

Make it multisensory

Take your trunk-or-treat display to the next level by incorporating sensory elements: play music that fits your theme (use a Bluetooth speaker to avoid draining your car's battery), create a tactile experience by having visitors reach through spooky faux cobwebs for their treats, or even add a scent to the air (like apple-cinnamon for a harvest-themed car).

Consider your crafting abilities (and your budget)

There are plenty of fantastic (and often intricate) trunk-or-treat ideas online. But if you're not an expert woodworker, you might want to skip turning your car into a spaceship complete with wings. For inspiration, check out the examples below—impressive designs that won’t require a degree in engineering.

Reuse and repurpose

Get creative with cardboard boxes, old sheets, or other household items. You can even borrow your home Halloween decorations for the event instead of buying new ones. Consider saving your trunk-or-treat materials year after year—you might turn faux gold coins from a pirate theme into galleons for a Harry Potter goblin bank.

5 Simple Trunk-or-Treat Ideas That'll Impress

Involve the whole family in brainstorming and crafting your trunk-or-treat setup. Here are some creative ideas to get you going.

Mummy Trunk

For this simple yet spooky design, all you need are a few rolls of white crepe paper (or even toilet paper!), some paper plates, and black construction paper to create a mummy that will delight and frighten.

Shark Trunk

Use poster board or foam core to make the sharp teeth of a shark, along with a warning sign reading "swim at your own risk." Add blue balloons to simulate the ocean, and the rest of your great white shark will come to life.

Frog Trunk

Wrap green sheets, tablecloths, or even crepe paper around the car to create the body and face, while paper plates and construction paper make the eyes. An old red scarf or some red crepe paper can serve as the tongue. (Balloons are optional for this design.)

Monster Trunk

Dig through your party supplies and costume drawer for this one, using feather boas and balloons to form the monster's face, cardboard for the horns, teeth, and eyes, and party fans to serve as the eyelids.

Dinosaur Trunk

All you need for a truly iconic prehistoric setup is some greenery, caution tape, and a towering inflatable T. Rex to complete the scene.

Willy Wonka Trunk

Fire up your printer for this idea: Print out "golden tickets" and labels to adorn the "candy" (using colorful balloons and paper lanterns to complete the look).