Between the warm summer months and the icy cold winter is my favorite season: fall. The air is not yet freezing, and the leaves, slowly descending to the ground, are the perfect blend of red and yellow. Along with the weather, Halloween is the event of the season. However, it begs the question: when is the appropriate time to stop trick-or-treating? 

Personally, I never want to stop. I love the joy of walking around my neighborhood, in costume (of course), and searching for those King Size candy bars. But I know every good thing must come to an end. 

Trick or treating was and is a huge event in my neighborhood. My cousins from Fox Point and St. Francis would all come down to the East Side to join me for trick or treating when I was little. We would walk all around the neighborhood for at least two hours, and when we would come back, we would sprint upstairs to begin the candy swap. I organized all my candy in piles based on their brand and flavor: Hershey chocolate vs Swedish fish. My goal was to get as much chocolate as possible. 

The last year I went trick or treating was freshman year of high school. After that, COVID happened, and I do not think I was going to be afforded the joy of receiving candy. But I wanted to know when other people at DSHA transitioned from a tricker or treater to an “adult” who wields the candy bowl with authority. 

Madison Wied, who one year for halloween decided to be a fairy, a butterfly, and princess all at the same time, thinks “people should be able to trick or treat as long as they are in high school because free candy!” For Madison, trick or treating was a very “integral” part of growing up, so she has very fond memories. 

A Whitefish Bay resident, Bridget Barry, also has many dear memories of walking up and down her streets within a three mile radius, which at the time seemed like a treacherous six, getting candy. One year, Bridget was Leo from Leo and Stitch, and even though her costume ripped prematurely, she didn’t let her commitment to getting more candy wane. Now, as a senior in high school, she shares her dad’s thoughts.

“My dad thinks you should stop after 8th grade,” she says, “but I think it’s honestly acceptable to stop after freshman year because I feel like people start going to parties anyway.”

As a kid, Maellie Lewna would go trick or treating with her dance team, stating,

“It was always like a party and we got to walk around with the team”

When I asked her when is the appropriate time to stop trick or treating, she conveyed, “I think around twelve or thirteen years old, but if you are older and are taking your younger siblings out and you get candy that’s fine because… well free candy!”

Some people, like Nina Warren, never really liked the whole concept of trick or treating. “I never really dressed up, and going to people’s houses kinda scared me. Don’t get me wrong, I love getting candy, but I just wasn’t super into Halloween,” she says with a shoulder shrug.

Her perspective made me realize that some people did not grow up with the tradition of trick or treating in their own neighborhood, so they would have to go elsewhere.

Sophomore Grace Wimmer lives in Pewaukee where none of the houses are close to each other, making it impossible to efficiently build a stockpile of candy. 

“We went to our aunt’s house in Brookfield to trick or treat because I really don’t live in a neighborhood.” Grace recalls one of her best costumes: cotton candy, telling me she had covered herself in red dyed fluff. This spectacular costume unfortunately succumbed to weather conditions as it started raining, leaving a red trail of dye, a distant memory of Grace’s costume on the pavement. Despite this, Grace believes you should never stop trick or treating. “It’s super fun, so why would anyone stop?!”

After hearing everyone’s opinions on when the appropriate time to stop trick or treating is, there really is no right answer. I think people can agree that as you age, you may want to let the younger participants lead the way. Maybe let the kids go ahead first, but it never hurts to grab a Hershey bar or two for the road.