Kid-Friendly Halloween Events Around Charlotte:
NC & SC Communities, 2026.
From daytime trick-or-treating at Carowinds to trunk-or-treats at parks, rec centers, and schools on both sides of the state line, here is the family-friendly Halloween calendar for the Charlotte metro, with dates, times, and official links.
Halloween in the Charlotte metro is a community affair, and the kid-friendly calendar is full: daytime trick-or-treating at Carowinds, trunk-or-treats at parks, rec centers, and schools across both Carolinas, and a glowing pumpkin wall in the Elizabeth neighborhood. This guide rounds up the family-friendly Halloween events for 2026 across North Carolina and South Carolina communities, with each event's community, date, time, location, cost, and official link. Some dates have already passed, so those events are clearly marked as just wrapped, and the still-upcoming ones are called out first. Details can change, so check each event's official page before you head out.
I have raised kids in this corner of the country and now call Charlotte home, and one of the things I love about fall here is how many free, low-stress ways there are to celebrate with little ones. Neighborhood trick-or-treating in the Charlotte area is on Halloween night, October 31, and local rec centers and schools usually add more trunk-or-treats during the last week of October, so check their schedules too. Whether you are brand new to the area or have called it home for years, I hope this list helps your family find a happy hour of pumpkins, costumes, and candy this week.
On the North Carolina side.
Seven kid-friendly Halloween events on the Tar Heel half of the metro, from the state-line theme park to neighborhood rec centers.
Still ahead: plan these now
Tricks and Treats at Carowinds
A daytime, kid-friendly Halloween with no scares: Peanuts characters in costume, plenty of candy, and seasonal entertainment for all ages. Note that SCarowinds is the separate, scarier nighttime event, so save that one for older kids and adults who want a fright.
The Great Pumpkin Wall in Elizabeth
A much-loved neighborhood tradition: a wall of carved pumpkins glowing along the street each evening through November 1. It is a walk-or-drive-by favorite that makes the whole neighborhood feel like part of the season.
Trunk or Treat at West Charlotte Recreation Center
A neighborhood trunk or treat to kick off Halloween week, with cars lined up and treats handed out trunk to trunk. It is a controlled, open-air way for little ones to practice the trick-or-treat routine before the big night.
Just wrapped: worth saving for next year
Indian Trail Spooktacular Trunk or Treat
A large trunk-or-treat with a themed craft, a dance party, and spooky family fun; the town expected 5,000+ attendees. This one has already wrapped for 2026, so save it for next year.
UCSO Trunk or Treat & Child Safety Fair
The Union County Sheriff's Office trunk or treat paired with a child safety fair, a handy one-stop event for candy and safety resources. It has already wrapped for 2026.
8th Annual Haunted Trail at Matthews Playhouse
Family-friendly Halloween fun with a face painting party, DJ, carnival games, dance contests, trunk or treat, and giant outdoor games. Despite the name, this is a lighter Boo Bash style event, not a scary trail for young kids. It has already wrapped for 2026.
Belmont BooFest
Family-friendly Halloween at Stowe Park with trick-or-treating and festive fun all afternoon. It has already wrapped for 2026, so add it to next year's calendar.
Across the South Carolina line.
Five events across Fort Mill, Tega Cay, and Rock Hill, all a short drive from Charlotte.
Still ahead: plan these now
The Learning Experience Trunk or Treat
A family-friendly trunk or treat hosted by The Learning Experience, an easy option for little ones in the Fort Mill area this week.
GHES Trunk or Treat
A school-hosted trunk or treat at Gold Hill Elementary, a fun way to kick off Halloween weekend with classmates and neighbors.
Tega Cay's Spooktacular Week
Trunk-or-treating for Tega Cay kids with DJ music, a costume contest for all ages, and a monster mashup of Halloween fun, promoted as a safe alternative to door-to-door trick-or-treating. The week culminates Halloween night at the Glennon Center.
BooHaHa at Fountain Park
Trick-or-treating in Old Town Rock Hill with community partners, a perfect way to spend Halloween morning before the evening rounds.
Just wrapped: worth saving for next year
Allergy-Safe No Candy Trunk or Treat
Run by The Pumpkin Project: a food-free trick-or-treat with games and crafts, a wonderful option for kids with allergies. It has already wrapped for 2026, so bookmark it for next year.
A note from Tracey: plan your Halloween week.
Three quick things before you head out. First, details can change, so always check each event's official page for the latest times and any weather updates. Second, several of these events have already wrapped for 2026, so treat them as ideas for next fall rather than plans for this week. Third, these community events are for every family in the metro, no matter which neighborhood you call home.
Save this guide for next fall: most of these traditions return year after year, and the official links above are where upcoming dates get announced. Neighborhood trick-or-treating in the Charlotte area is on Halloween night, October 31, and rec centers and schools often host their own trunk-or-treats during the last week of October. For more ideas and known trick-or-treat times around the metro, the always-updated guide at Charlotte on the Cheap is a great place to start.
More Trick-or-Treat Ideas from Charlotte on the CheapHalloween week questions, answered.
What time is trick-or-treating in the Charlotte area?
Neighborhood trick-or-treating in the Charlotte area happens on Halloween night, October 31. Exact hours vary from neighborhood to neighborhood and town to town, so check with your HOA, city, or rec center for local times. For a metro-wide starting point, the Charlotte on the Cheap trick-or-treat guide linked below rounds up known hours, and many families head out in the early evening.
What kids' Halloween events are still coming up this week?
Plenty. Carowinds Tricks and Treats runs its family-friendly daytime event on weekends through November 1, and The Great Pumpkin Wall glows along Laurel Street in Elizabeth each evening through November 1. This week brings the Trunk or Treat at West Charlotte Recreation Center (October 29, 5-6:30pm), The Learning Experience trunk or treat in Fort Mill (October 29, 6:30-8pm), and the GHES trunk or treat in Fort Mill (October 30, 4pm). Tega Cay's Spooktacular Week culminates Halloween night at the Glennon Center, and Halloween morning features BooHaHa at Fountain Park in Old Town Rock Hill (October 31, 11am-1pm).
Is Carowinds Tricks and Treats good for little kids?
Yes. Tricks and Treats is Carowinds' daytime, family-friendly Halloween event with no scares: Peanuts characters in costume, candy, and seasonal entertainment for all ages, all included with regular park admission. The frights happen separately at SCarowinds, a nighttime ticketed event better suited to older kids and adults who want to be scared.
Are there allergy-friendly Halloween options in the Charlotte area?
Yes. On the South Carolina side, The Pumpkin Project runs an allergy-safe, food-free trunk or treat with games and crafts instead of candy at Harris Street Park in Fort Mill. That event just wrapped for 2026, so save it for next year, and keep an eye on local rec centers and schools, which often host food-free or allergy-conscious trunk-or-treats of their own.
Find your home near the
communities you love.
Every one of these events happens in a real Charlotte-area community worth calling home, from Indian Trail and Matthews to Fort Mill, Tega Cay, and Rock Hill. If you are thinking about moving to the Charlotte area, I would love to help you find a home near the communities you love.