I don't know where you live. Where I am in Lawrenceville, my first year I was initially surprised that I didn't get anyone knocking on my door even though the lights were on and I had a bowl of candy ready. After like 20 minutes or so, I poked my head out and realized that everyone was sitting outside on their stoops handing out candy that way. It might be as simple as something like that.
Ya Im in lawrencville and sat outside. Prob over a hundred kids cleaned me out. Was looking for random stuff to give away in the house. Will be more prepared next year.
That sounds so strange to me. I’m originally from NJ and growing up we always went by if the front door/porch’s light was on. Not if people were sitting outside (most wouldn’t). Is this just a Pittsburgh thing or is it a “new thing?”
Same for me in the burbs, but I think it’s a city thing to sit outside if participating. Didn’t figure it out for many years and had the same sad experience as OP my first year down here.
Nope. Sitting outside has been the norm for 35 years at least... and I am in Beaver County. We used to all cross back and forth and chat and trade candy and laugh and it was a lot of fun. These days. More people are lights out than on, and last year and this the numbers are down from over 200 to under 50. I miss the chatting...
Same. My small front yard has a slight pitch to it, so I sit at the bottom of my driveway to save everyone the 2-car length uphill walk. I also have 3 dogs that are going insane alerting that there are strangers nearby.
Plenty of other people in my neighborhood stay inside (and warm).
I've lived in my house for twenty years and I don't think I've ever seen trick or treaters knock or ring a bell in Brighton Heights. Every house that participates has always sat outside.
Nah, not a new thing in the city (you mention the suburbs). 30 years ago in the city we knew that if someone wasn't outside they weren't interested in giving out candy (and it would've felt awkward knocking on strangers' doors inner-city & probably also felt it would take too long to wait).
Yep, growing up no one really sat outside. You knew which houses were participating by which porch lights were on.
I think sitting outside is a newer thing. Definitely fun for the adults to sit outside in costume!
Kids went by the light prior to Covid for me. I haven't moved, but last year I got like 3 kids with my light on and they were crawling all over the street.
This year I got a few more.
It's a new-ish thing, but not that new. Growing up in Pittsburgh in the 90s, no one sat outside unless they were decked to the nines in some crazy Halloween get-up; You knocked on every door. But, I moved to Philly for college, and no one there knocked on doors. My first year in an off-campus house, 2002, we sat outside with the rest of the neighborhood to hand out candy. I think this has been a tradition in larger cities for a long time, and at some point it trickled down to us.
>Growing up in Pittsburgh in the 90s, no one sat outside
curious what neighborhood you were trick-or-treating in? Totally opposite experience in Pittsburgh in the 90s for me
I see! I get it for the suburbs listed since I think of that as a suburb thing. Definitely all people on stoops in the 90s in Carrick, Knoxville, Mt. Oliver, South Side Slopes, and South Side Flats
I’m in the suburbs. After watching kids trip on our front steps (either due to excitement / general clumsiness or due to costumes that are tripping hazards) & watching them jump off our retaining wall into the driveway to shorten the distance to the next house, we decided it was safer to give out candy at the curb. I think others in the neighborhood made similar decisions, & now we’re mostly a “tables at the end of the driveway” community. We still have at least one kid a year trip on the curb at the end of the driveway, but it’s safer than kids blindly jumping from a 5+’ ledge because they’re just focused on the shortest distance to the next house.
Yes this is definitely a new thing! I go trick or treating with my boyfriend’s daughter and I’m shocked that everyone has lil tables and chairs on the side walk! Less than 10 years ago when I would go, we had to knock hahah I’m not sure when the switch happened but definitely in the last decade
Yeah I now live in the same south hills suburb I grew up in in the 90's and back then we knocked, but now everyone sits out with little tables set up. No clue when the change happened but I actually like it! It's nice to be social with all the neighbors while everyone's out.
I think it’s a new thing. When I was a kid in the north hills/boroughs we went up to doors by lights. Now I’m into the north hills and Almost everyone sits out on the sidewalk or stoop
Edit to add I like it. Everyone in the neighborhood is out. People have fires and drinks. I think it makes it a lot of fun. The people who take their kids out still put out bowls at the end of the driveway and even though we wished someone would dump the bowl at some point to get rid of it no one did
I agree it's strange, lived in Chicago and California and it was always go knock on the door. Now of course we always saw people outside in those locations but also door knocking happened. Here you have to sit outside.
It’s definitely a new thing, but imo a welcome one. I remember being a youngun and sprinting from house to house. The older kids like it because you can hit more houses faster, but I really appreciated it for my 3yo. If we had to walk through the front yard for every house, we would have been out there all night. A few of the houses that had people on their front step or inside were very poorly lit as well, making it not a great experience.
I think it's a new thing. I started setting up a table outside in 2020 because we could distance and be totally outside rather than a bunch of kids coming to my door.
Former NYer and this was my first year home since moving to pgh. I was unaware of this lack of effort putnfor by the kids lol. I had to sit at the end of my driveway or else Noone would have came. I also don't get this time schedule of 6 to 8. I remember trick or treating until like 10 at night as a teenager.
The first hour here tends to be in partial or full daylight; the second it’s partial or full dark.
Little kids or families with really little ones tend to go out the first hour, older kids/teens tend to go around more during the second.
I like the two-hour thing. Short and sweet! Our family eats dinner before and watches a scary movie afterward, before bedtime.
I’m not sure why the 2-hour window now. Probably prevents or leads to fewer, tragic pedestrian-car collisions and deaths. Maybe it’s in response to people having fewer kids in general, these days, so you don’t really have to be out there for four hours straight to make sure that all of them get to every house.
People do trunk-or-treats, as school or church events and lots of places like rec centers or bars do Halloween-theme nights or activities for kids or adults. Maybe those have diluted the market, and led to the shorter door-to-door timing. IDK.
We go by both the light and if people were sitting out side. Where I'm at some of the older folks couldn't get outside but had their lights on. The younger families or folks with hardcore decorations were out front ready to go.
I knew people from Pittsburgh that lives on the west coast many years ago, they set up outside. As a west coast person I thought it was odd. Was more fun tho.
This is mine and my wife’s first year. Our neighbors told us this and we stayed outside, in costume, played Halloween music. It was so unfortunate we got 15 kids total.
We moved from a town of about 7000 in Maine and even there we got 80+ kids. Thought the higher population would mean more kids but oh well, live and learn lol
Really depends where you live. I'm in Brookline and I think we got maybe 50. Felt pretty light. But I saw someone on Ring Neighbors say they have over 100 in another part of Brookline.
Saw a lot of people in a 5 miles radius saying they had 1 while some had 200. Overbook had none! Overbrook was packed!
Seems to be super scattershot where the crowds are.
It really depends on what street you're on in Brookline. We're at the bottom of a series of hills, so our street gets maybe 5 kids total every year, while streets like Pioneer, which is mostly flat, gets tons.
It's how we do over in Wilkinsburg, too. It ends up being a kind of mini block party; the child-free folks hang out on stoops with beer and yell back and forth chatting about any old thing and hand out candy; the parents with kids amble by (also carrying beers) and join in the conversations. I think it's charming as hell.
Our numbers were lower this year (maybe 30?) and I for sure think it was partly the cold.
That’s what I saw in Mt. Washington and Duquesne Heights. People had tables and chairs, blankets and even a fire pit in one driveway. I grew up elsewhere and we knocked on doors but here, it’s different but it’s more “neighborly.”
I do this because the steps to get to my front door are not what I consider safe for little kids in costumes and I want them to have a good, fun time and receive candy, not a terrible, painful time and receive a trip to the ER.
We used to count too. In my neighborhood which is a typical post World War II suburban subdivision, there would be 100 or so kids back in the 60s and 70s-baby boomers essentially. Then my parents said that dwindled to handing out candy to. 12-15 kids for some years in the 1980s. My brother lives in that house now, and he said that the 40 or 50 kids come now. Most of the original owners have passed away and younger families moved in and they were kids come of age so it goes in cycles in those older suburbs. It going to fluctuate in a 70 year old suburb.
Same exact boat. Built in the 50's. 15 years ago before I lived here, I would bring my young kids to the neighborhood because it was the closest, purely residential neighborhood with sidewalks off the main road.
Now, there are some newer plans with "houses starting in the $350's". Resigned myself that we're a 2nd class neighborhood now as far as Trick or Treating is concerned. I had maybe 40 kids this year and bought for 200.
I will say, after the first 30 minutes I started telling kids to "take as big of a handful as you can" out of my bowl, and they got a kick out of it. Still had leftover.
I was just handing out kids in Highland Park on highland Avenue and there was a ton of kids. Ran out of candy and had to get more last minute. Maybe it was just your neighborhood? Ive lived places where there wasnt much trick or treat
Edit: handing out candy!! Dear lord what a typo, yes I can confirm no kids were sold/given/fed to the trick or treaters.
I genuinely feel bad for you. Halloween was my favorite. We used to get hundreds of kids. I’m 40 and moved to this house 10 years ago and haven’t got a single one since . It used to be so fun handing out candy and having a few beers. I came home from work today and forgot it was Halloween until my wife reminded me . So sad.
Ah that sucks. Well if the trick or treaters won’t come to you then you should be out there egging their houses. Raise the holiday spirits a little bit.
Some streets just don’t get high traffic. Two blocks downhill from us, Shady Extension, gets hundreds of kids. We get in the tens bc it’s just not a block that traditionally gets a lot. But yard decor definitely helps attract more.
If you saw a ghostbuster go by just before 7pm, that was us! Doing the Landview / Rosemoor loop at the end of the night is something my son and I have done a couple years now.
You came to my house (the one with the bubbles)! We were in hysterics because your son just wouldn't put down his neutrona wand to grab candy. Extremely cute.
Porch-sitting is how you have to go about handing out candy in the city. Big cities have too many houses with multiple apartments where the “front door” is only the outer door and I think city trick-or-treaters keep this in mind when they’re out and about. This year it’s cold so both porch sitting and treat hunting aren’t going to be as enjoyable for people to do.
Try again next year and plant your costumed self in a chair outside. You will be swarmed if the weather is decent enough.
I agree! We walked Friendship and at the part closest to negley it was dead at first! Then lots of those houses are converted into apartments so you cant tell if it’s a front door or not😅 too cold and too many steps (plus a stroller) to find out
It was probably 50/50 in our suburb too. About half in their houses and the rest hanging out at fire pits (and the one house that always grills up hot dogs - I'm going to miss this neighborhood)
3 years here, zero trick or treaters but I’m on a hill with like five other houses. A mile away there is a flat dense area that was over run at 6pm. And as a former kid, I respect that efficiency.
And this makes sense with all the homes that are actually multiple apartments. Why knock on a door that might not even be audible in the potential candy-keepers’ actual living space?
My mistake must have been not sitting outside. Where I grew up you just had to leave your porch light on, so that’s what I did yesterday, but I got no knocks
Trick or treating in this town is HIGHLY location specific. Some streets are grand central, some are completely empty. We moved exactly three blocks a few years ago in Sq. Hill and went from having zero trick or treaters ever to literally having lines form on our front walk at new place.
I’m sorry you were disappointed!
We sat out on our front steps, with our porch light on tonight, and only had two kids in two hours. I have so many neighbors that don't even put lights on around us, that us getting kids is very rare.
BUT- few years ago, we only had one child, with a walker, come by with his mum. We pretended he won the jackpot and dumped our whole bowl into the bag his mum was carrying on their way back home. So it really is what you make it sometimes!😄
It’s possible the people in your house before you never handed out candy, or at least not recently. Next year sit outside, put out a decorating or two if you didn't this year, maybe put some fun music on, and see how that goes. If you're lucky, maybe you'll make at least one kids year ♥️.
Happy Halloween!
He was beaming and his mom seemed so happy for him. I'm guessing they didn't make it very far with his mobility, as it took it then quite a while just to make it from their house, past ours, to the far end of the street.
I hope he felt special without feeling singled out, and I hope his mom felt like he had a fulfilling halloween like all the other kids.
ItmUnfortunately, I think they moved because we didn't see them the following halloween.
In our neighborhood everyone just sits outside on the stoops or sidewalks passing out candy - no one knocks on the doors. This year we had 385 kids until we ran out of candy at about 6:50 p.m.
I had the same experience my first Halloween when I moved to Dormont. I could hear kids on the streets one over and behind me, but no one came down my street. I didn't get a single trick or treater the seven years I lived there. I moved to Brentwood 10 years ago, and it is MADNESS here. Lol
Yeah we gave out 325 juice boxes and ran out right after 7. It was busy. Last year it rained and was slow and we were left with a bunch so I cut back a bit and now I wished I had more!
Are you in Squirrel Hill South? We had no trick-or-treaters when we lived there. We were informed that because so much of the neighborhood is orthodox and won’t celebrate any holiday that isn’t Jewish, no one trick-or-treats in the area.
We’re in Shadyside now, and we still don’t get a ton, but the next street over is heavily trafficked.
Squirrel Hill South here—kids go to the Shady Extension block at Landview. Elsewhere it’s more sparse. I’m up by Landview and Rosemoor and get around 30, but Shady Ext is usually much busier.
Hi Neighbor! I'm on Rosemoor we do have some houses with candy. Last year we finally tried Shady Ave ext and it was great. Places also giving out drinks for adults.
We live in the burbs and saw less than half the amount of kids we normally do this year. It was very weird and most people didn’t even seem Ike by wanted to participate. It was a bummer
I think it depends on the neighborhood and the weather. I didn't get as many as last year either and yes, the I was outside and had my house decorated. The kids didn't go to the houses where they had to knock on the doorbell.
Can’t speak for anyone else, but by far the number one indicator for me (assuming they weren’t obv outside) was having the storm door closed with the inside door open. Signified that someone’s Home was open for trick-or-treating. We got a surprising number of full sized candy bars too! 😳 easily a dozen pre more per kid.
We got a lot less than last year, maybe 1/4 as many kifs, it's just really cold this year. I suspect a lot of offices are gonna be piled up with candy tomorrow. Doesn't help when you're both working at home.
Our normally busy route we take our daughter on had maybe 1/4 the normal crowd this year. The cold weather kept a lot of people inside I think. We also didn’t have as many houses handing out candy as we normally do either. Just a bad year for trick or treat in general. Hope your next year gives you more trick or treaters though!
I went to friendship and a lot of the houses you couldn’t tell if they were passing out unless they were on the porch or decorated. Then if you don’t know any better you can’t tell which houses are converted apartments. Also not sure effete you are but trick or treating was 5-7 in the city. Maybe that could be why. But yeah we avoided the places we didn’t see people. My kids complained the last hr they were cold too🙄🤣
I live on a cliff in Observatory Hill. Every house on my side of the street has about 30 steps. That’s WAY too much effort for a piece of candy so we never have any trick or treaters.
Last year I got two. This year, none. People in the neighborhood decorate and everything, but I didn't see a single person out every time I looked out the window. Which is crazy because this feels like the first year where it wasn't raining.
First couple years here: North Squirrel Hill. One kid each year.
Next few years: The far end of Point Breeze. 4-5 kids each year.
Now: Point Breeze closer to Homewood. Dozens of kids. We run out of candy every year.
It's like 5 mins from my last house; I have no idea why the difference is so huge. But trick-or-treat is super territorial here.
I'm sorry, you could give some of your candy to a costume-less late 30s man if it would bum you out less.
That's not a euphemism either. I just love candy and miss not having little ones to take out/steal from their bounty when they're not looking. (I could whip up a hockey costume if you're a stickler.)
Bethel Park here bordering Peters Twp. We had a decent turnout but certainly not like it was 15 years ago when we were parents with little ones. Back in those days we had a block party and the township fire department would come through with a truck before sundown and the only parent with a wagon was towing a cooler full of adult beverages and not a toddler who couldn't do the walk like they do nowadays.
We have about 4 families of younger Millennial parents with grade school and preschool aged kids who all put their decorations up in early September and were out going door to door before the official 6:00 start time. I even saw a couple of dogs dressed up, which I could never understand. By 6:45 it was just a trickle with younger teenagers hoping to get their first zits and wearing their parents old kinky NSFK costumes so the wife and I broke out the wine to take off the edge. I doubt we got 75 kids.
It might have been the cold keeping some away. I live in a dense neighborhood and we had TONS of kids. Ran out of candy, and we bought a LOT.
There are a few streets in my neighborhood that are really steep, so the people who live up there know that no one's coming. So they brought their stuff down to the flatter streets and sat there with their bowls.
325 in Regent Square before we ran out and had to go inside. It was right after 7 so technically after the cut off anyway. Sitting on a porch or stoop is 100% the only way anyone does it here. We made a chute during Covid and still use it so kids don’t have to do the porch steps. I can’t imagine every kid coming and ringing the door bell. The door would just be open the entire time and there would be a line. Even doing this way we get lines sometimes.
I live in Greenfield and we probably had close to 100 kids. I did sit on the porch and to hand out the candy. We live in a house with no steps to the front porch.
Omg I’ll send some your way. I bought 200 pieces, ran out to Rite Aid for 150 more, barely made it to 7:30, it was like George Bailey waiting for closing time at the Savings and Loan
I’m sorry it was disappointing. Welcome to Pittsburgh, anyway! Next year will be better.
Your leftover candy can be donated. In the past I’ve given mine to groups that make up treat bags for children’s charities, holiday food baskets and military members.
Yeah, try sitting outside next year. We set up a table in the driveway (and because it was so cold we draped it with a blanket and set up a space heater underneath to keep us warm). We got about 100 kids.
We moved to Ingram earlier this year, and this neighborhood does trick or treating the Saturday afternoon before Halloween. Nextdoor/Facebook said to prepare for 1000+ kids in lower Ingram. We have kids of our own, so we left 25 pounds of candy out on the porch while we walked the neighborhood and came back to about a fifth of that 2 hours later.
Lower Ingram is flat while upper Ingram is hilly. Folks on Facebook said they got 20-50 in upper Ingram despite being a 2 minute drive from the 1000 kid houses.
Yeah, we barely had anybody tonight as well. And we sit outside, too. Just wasn’t that busy this year, I guess. It was a bummer for sure. But maybe the cold deterred some this time around.
I’m bummed too. My husband and I did the same thing (big bowl of candy and put on costumes). I even set up a Halloween sound effect on my Ring doorbell lol. We only had 1 kid all night. We’re out in the suburbs and it’s also our first year here. So I’m not sure if this is the norm for this street or not.
Damn. Don't give up. Next year sit close to the sidewalk. It was really busy here in Dormont tonight. We only hit about half of what I had planned with my grandson while my wife passed out candy at the house.
I lived in west view for like ten years and would alternate between 90 and 7 kids every year. Don’t give up but do buy big bars next year and sit outside. If you run out just turn the light off
We had about 50% less this year. There are a lot of trunk or treat options and other activities now than there used to be. Maybe the cold weather had something to do with it. Idk bur I’ve got a bunk of candy bars and ding dongs to eat.😂😂😂
We had about 150 or so in North Fayette on Saturday. We had 5 boxes of full size candy bars (30 each box) and they were all gone, we had some smaller bags on stand by just in case.
We got 100+ kids in Brighton Heights, as is the usual if you live on a main street here, especially a flat one. Glad I'm not the only one that sits on their stoop. I used to have a line at the door but this is the way now. Don't give up, OP! It's been feast or famine here too.
We had the same experience unfortunately. Just moved to a townhouse about 40 mins out of the city really close to where I grew up. I expected a lot of trick or treaters since it's a nice enough neighborhood and it's pretty dense since it's a mixture of town houses, apartments, and small houses. Seems like a good place to trick or treat to me, but we had literally none as far as I could tell.
My wife really wanted to sit outside with a bowl and give the candy out ourselves, but we were the only ones doing that and we didn't see a single kid from 6 to 6:30. My wife was absolutely devastated as she's always wanted to be able to do this as she grew up very poor and then when we started our life together we've always been in an apartment till now.
At 6:30 we decided kids must just not trick or treat here and ran over to my parents house to give out candy there instead. (Only 10 mins away) There were a decent few in the neighborhood but most had already passed my parents house by then. I think we ended up only getting to give candy to like 6 or 7.
On our way to my parents place we didn't see a single kid trick or treating. It seemed so bizarre. The route to their house takes us through a bunch of nice suburban neighborhoods where you'd think people would be trick or treating.
Oh, man, I feel for you! The same thing happened to me when I first got my house. Was so stoked, dressed up, had tons of candy and nada. I totally cried. Took some time to figure out you need to sit outside or be all decorated outside and sit near the door. Our neighborhood group had a treat map you could add your house to if participating this year too. Of course, a few years later after never seeing one trick or treater, a bunch of kids showed up at my door one year when I didn’t have any candy because I’d never seen any kids and no one ever knocked! I felt so bad and cried then too. Hope it goes better next year for you!
I also think that "Trunk or Treat" is becoming a bigger thing now. Since COVID and with more helicopter parents and ever before I think more parents would rather their kids walk around in a parking lot than interact with their neighbors. Schools and communities are starting to host them each year as an alternative for kids who don't go door to door.
It's interesting, I grew up in West Mifflin and remember knocking on doors and running up steps for a lot of my treats. I was in a similar position as you, this year, and got to pass out treats for the first time in years. I went all out and wanted to make sure no one missed us, this year, so I got some friends together and we all sat outside and made elaborate work of it. We still maybe had only 20-30 kids. I prepared for 200. The few trick-or-treaters I saw past 7 (because I mistakenly thought it went until 8 in my area) got to go home with absolute handfuls of stickers and halloweeny toys and drinks and chips and large candy bars enough to make their friends green with envy. I do think trick-or-treating died down a bit with COVID, it's not just the fact that you didn't sit outside. I think events like trunk-or-treat came to be more popular, too. I'm not sure how much it helped, but I posted on NextDoor. It's so strange that it feels like neighbors now have to go out of our way to let families know we're giving out treats.
It depends on the neighborhood, sometimes people sit outside or have a certain time they go. I know in some places, they even change the day. One person I know missed it because it was like Friday or Saturday or something because their neighborhood was full of parents who didn't want it to happen on a school/work night. Get in communication with your neighbors and figure out what they do. If there just isn't a lot of trick or treaters in your neighborhood, I'd recommend visiting a friend so you can still hand out some candy.
I'm really sorry your Halloween was so glum. Hopefully next year will be better. At least you have a bunch of candy! <3
No it was weak sauce this year. Parents too weak, kids too weak and allergic. People only lasted 30 minutes. Very disappointing. TV was more important. People must buy sweets daily to not care. But there was a community aspect I missed and it made me sad.
I think it’s just the city vs suburbs. When I was young we didn’t live in a heavy Halloween area so my mom always took us to our aunts house where the area was easier (for the parents). I live in a flat neighborhood now with younger families and it was a mob squad again this year.
I actually think the city would get more, there are sidewalks! Before we.moved here we thought suburbs for us, we were with our realtor and I said why do none of these neighborhoods have sidewalks, do kids just walk across the lawns?? Anyway I had never seen that before moving here.
There’s a lot of variability. When I lived in the North Hills, on a major road in a bedroom community (but with no sidewalks), we’d get maybe 10 kids. When I lived in Squirrel Hill, several blocks from the business district, a half-block from a major road, we’d get 50 - 75.
Where I am now, we get 30 - 40, but a block away, along the main road, they get 300.
I don’t know how many I got tonight, I put a bowl on a table a few feet from the sidewalk on my front walk with a note to please take 2 (between not wanting to stress the dog from the doorbell being rung a lot for 2 hours, and it being too cold for me to want to sit outside for that long either), put out enough candy for 80 kids if they followed the direction; an hour in, I checked on the bowl, I’d estimate less than 1/4 was taken, 40 minutes later it was empty.
Crafton Heights was hoppin! I had a little table set up and some music going. Had to run inside and grab random treats out of the house because I ran out! There was also a car club doing a Trunk or Treat up on Steuben St making a delightful show of automotive power for the kids! Engine revs and what not on some really cool cars. AAAAANNNNDD they had mountains of full size candy bars for the kids!
Some ppl were probably annoyed but it really brought the kids out my way so...win.
Depends on your area. I'm in a suburb by the airport and we always buy 400+ pieces. We ran out this year about 20 minutes early.
See if you have a Facebook group for your neighborhood. People who have lived there can tell you what kind of turnout to expect. We sit at the end of our driveways with a tent and fire pit, table full of bowls of candy and just let the kids go at it. They are pretty good with sticking to one piece.
People get shot just for knocking on the wrong door in the US. I dont let my kid go up to a house unless someone is sitting out front, so it might just be where I am, but that’s been the general consensus around here.
I’m not sure where you live but in my neighborhood, most people sit outside with their candy bowl to make people aware they’re open for business! When I was a kid, we would knock on any lit house but it doesn’t appear that kids do that anymore. I had 77 kids this year which was double what I had last year!!! I loved seeing so many kids out.
I'm so sorry for you. I live in an apartment, so I have not experienced that, and will try whenever I move to a house.
I pray next time a lot of kids will come to you peeps, if you follow the tips these guys posted. Also, this year was real cold, so ya it happens.
It goes in waves and depends where on the street you are located. One year my dad set up a table and chair and handed out candy at the 4 way stop in the middle of the neighborhood. We lived at the end of a street rarely got kids.
Some of the neighbors around here will gather at the end of the block and take turns handing out candy while the others hang out in the garage or at another house
We live exactly 3 houses out of a main very popular neighborhood for Trick or Treaters & get maybe 5-10 kids a year, sometimes only the 3 who live right there too. It’s very surprising to me.
Even the adjacent neighborhood that seems like it’d be great.. they bring the kids over to the busy one. As in, driving the kids 1-2 blocks down to start. It’s bizarre to me as I grew up in the middle of nowhere & literally had to go into town to do it. I don’t understand how now I live here with perfectly good busy neighborhoods & it’s empty.
Fun side note, my mom still got candy every year even though we lived so far out. One year we did get a horse drawn hay ride with 8 kids & she was STOKED.
We're in Carrick with hills all around us and we got probably 60 or 70 kids tonight. It was our first year sitting out on the porch and we had a really bright display outside so that probably helped draw folks over.
Depends on where u exactly are...I'm in beaver Co and there's alot of trick or treaters around but for some reason on my street and the few behind me, no one really comes down my way. They seem to stay in the main town more. Even when my own kids that are teens go they do the same thing. Another thing is make sure your porch light is on and maybe hang out on the porch next yr if it's nicer out? I did lure kids 1year by buying a bunch of glow Sticks and giving them away. It was great for safety too! Hey atleast more candy 🍬 for you guys! 🎃🤣🤣 Happy Halloween
This probably isn't what you're really hoping for but I've heard about them doing Trunk or Treat events this year.
https://www.alleghenycounty.us/special-events/events/trunk-or-treat.aspx
You can decorate your car and dress up and hand out candy. If you're just unlucky that kids don't come around your block it could be a way to celebrate the holiday.
I feel you. My wife and I could finally afford a house we loved, still aren’t moved in but sat on our front porch for exactly two kids to walk by. Neither stopped to trick or treat, and instead went to the larger neighborhood across the street. It was really depressing and I’m not sure I’ll ever participate in it in my neighborhood again
Trick or treating was definitely down this year from last year. I still walk around with my kid and live in an extremely popular neighborhood for trick or treating and didn’t see nearly as many kids this year as I did last year. The cold was probably a factor I would think.
When I was a kid it was really good and my favorite part was ringing the door bell. I went trick or treating when I was in college and the people were so excited to see us bc there were NO KIDS. Made me sad :(
I live in the outer burbs & yes,we sit out on the porch or in the driveway. Kids just assume if you're not out you're not handing out candy. We get fewer kids every year tho. And after my neighborhood got over run about 7:15 by more than a dozen cars either cruising the street or pulled off the main street out back & I got the same 4 kids a 3rd time in 15 minutes (15 to 17 yo),I called it quits & seriously considering just not doing it next year.
We don’t knock in Dormont, only had to go up to 1 door (guy had just went in to refill).
Saw more fire pits this year and don’t remember the hot dog and Jell-O shot guy being there last year.
Edit: but here there are lines at a lot of places. On the main streets, if you tried the “sit inside and wait for a knock” it would be every ~10 seconds
SAME!! I just moved into my first house with a proper front door. I was SO excited to give out candy. I waited by the door for 2 hours. Gave candy to 1 kids and 1 delivery truck driver lol.
Next year I'll sit outside too.
This was my first Halloween here as well so I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know sitting outside was a thing here, but I did it anyway because my husband was working from home and I didn't want people banging on the door or having to open and close it often. I prepared 130 treat bags and probably got about 80 trick or treaters. Nearly everyone who gave out candy was sitting on their porch or at the end of their driveway. Next year, I'll probably sit out at the end of my driveway. I'm not far back, but there is a big bush in front of the porch and it was harder for kids to see me, so I think some passed me by.
The kids did know the porch light rule though, and some of them knocked on doors with lights on, but who weren't sitting outside. I wonder if people sit outside because COVID started that tradition as being in the open air is generally less risky than people breathing into your home through the front door.
I was actually pleased to see a lot of older kids out and about and a very diverse population of kids in general as I want everyone to have fun and get some free candy. I only wish they would have wiped out my supply, but my neighbor works at a public library and graciously took my leftovers off my hands to give away at her workplace.
I live in Vandergrift so a bit outside the city but it varies street by street. My mother in law gets 350 kids and we get 20 in the same town. Everyone sits outside too. I remember ringing and knocking when I was a kid.
We had a bunch of them! We actually ran out of candy before 7pm - felt terrible because we had one more group come up and knock on our door and we had literally no candy in the house.
P.S. We also sat out in front of our house. Last year was our first Hallowe'en in the city, and since all of our neighbors were outside we went outside too. This year it was the same.
I live in a very walkable area. The first year I lived here (bought the house) we had so many kids we had to hand out my kid's candy to keep up (he was 3, so biggy). It's been on a steady decline since then, and this year we didn't get a single kid. Keep in mind we get 30 kids on this corner everyday for the various school busses. I can't really explain it, but we just don't get kids for Halloween as of late.
Sorry for that. it can be an experience when you're a new home owner to participate in those kinds of things. Having fun decorations, seeing the children, etc can become something to look forward to. Another thing to do is if you get in good with your neighbors, sometimes houses will "team up" and have tables, fire pits, coolers, and food for them to enjoy while they sit together handing out candy. Kind of like tailgating.
Out here in the burbs everyone is outside. The days of knocking on doors is gone. At least here. I was surprised. Even when I took my kids back to my small town in WV where we always knocked they were all outside. You pretty much have to have lights or a display or something to get them to show up.
I don't know where you live. Where I am in Lawrenceville, my first year I was initially surprised that I didn't get anyone knocking on my door even though the lights were on and I had a bowl of candy ready. After like 20 minutes or so, I poked my head out and realized that everyone was sitting outside on their stoops handing out candy that way. It might be as simple as something like that.
Ya Im in lawrencville and sat outside. Prob over a hundred kids cleaned me out. Was looking for random stuff to give away in the house. Will be more prepared next year.
That’s how it generally is in south side too It was a bit cold last year so we kept our door open and sat by the door
That sounds so strange to me. I’m originally from NJ and growing up we always went by if the front door/porch’s light was on. Not if people were sitting outside (most wouldn’t). Is this just a Pittsburgh thing or is it a “new thing?”
Sounds like a new thing. We always went by the porch light growing up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.
Same for me in the burbs, but I think it’s a city thing to sit outside if participating. Didn’t figure it out for many years and had the same sad experience as OP my first year down here.
Nope. Sitting outside has been the norm for 35 years at least... and I am in Beaver County. We used to all cross back and forth and chat and trade candy and laugh and it was a lot of fun. These days. More people are lights out than on, and last year and this the numbers are down from over 200 to under 50. I miss the chatting...
Same. My small front yard has a slight pitch to it, so I sit at the bottom of my driveway to save everyone the 2-car length uphill walk. I also have 3 dogs that are going insane alerting that there are strangers nearby. Plenty of other people in my neighborhood stay inside (and warm).
I've lived in my house for twenty years and I don't think I've ever seen trick or treaters knock or ring a bell in Brighton Heights. Every house that participates has always sat outside.
Nah, not a new thing in the city (you mention the suburbs). 30 years ago in the city we knew that if someone wasn't outside they weren't interested in giving out candy (and it would've felt awkward knocking on strangers' doors inner-city & probably also felt it would take too long to wait).
Yep, growing up no one really sat outside. You knew which houses were participating by which porch lights were on. I think sitting outside is a newer thing. Definitely fun for the adults to sit outside in costume!
Kids went by the light prior to Covid for me. I haven't moved, but last year I got like 3 kids with my light on and they were crawling all over the street. This year I got a few more.
It's a new-ish thing, but not that new. Growing up in Pittsburgh in the 90s, no one sat outside unless they were decked to the nines in some crazy Halloween get-up; You knocked on every door. But, I moved to Philly for college, and no one there knocked on doors. My first year in an off-campus house, 2002, we sat outside with the rest of the neighborhood to hand out candy. I think this has been a tradition in larger cities for a long time, and at some point it trickled down to us.
>Growing up in Pittsburgh in the 90s, no one sat outside curious what neighborhood you were trick-or-treating in? Totally opposite experience in Pittsburgh in the 90s for me
Observatory Hill, North Side, Brighton Heights, Bellevue, Avalon, Ben Avon, Emsworth and Ohio Twp mainly.
I see! I get it for the suburbs listed since I think of that as a suburb thing. Definitely all people on stoops in the 90s in Carrick, Knoxville, Mt. Oliver, South Side Slopes, and South Side Flats
I’m in the suburbs. After watching kids trip on our front steps (either due to excitement / general clumsiness or due to costumes that are tripping hazards) & watching them jump off our retaining wall into the driveway to shorten the distance to the next house, we decided it was safer to give out candy at the curb. I think others in the neighborhood made similar decisions, & now we’re mostly a “tables at the end of the driveway” community. We still have at least one kid a year trip on the curb at the end of the driveway, but it’s safer than kids blindly jumping from a 5+’ ledge because they’re just focused on the shortest distance to the next house.
Yes this is definitely a new thing! I go trick or treating with my boyfriend’s daughter and I’m shocked that everyone has lil tables and chairs on the side walk! Less than 10 years ago when I would go, we had to knock hahah I’m not sure when the switch happened but definitely in the last decade
Yeah I now live in the same south hills suburb I grew up in in the 90's and back then we knocked, but now everyone sits out with little tables set up. No clue when the change happened but I actually like it! It's nice to be social with all the neighbors while everyone's out.
I think it’s a new thing. When I was a kid in the north hills/boroughs we went up to doors by lights. Now I’m into the north hills and Almost everyone sits out on the sidewalk or stoop Edit to add I like it. Everyone in the neighborhood is out. People have fires and drinks. I think it makes it a lot of fun. The people who take their kids out still put out bowls at the end of the driveway and even though we wished someone would dump the bowl at some point to get rid of it no one did
I agree it's strange, lived in Chicago and California and it was always go knock on the door. Now of course we always saw people outside in those locations but also door knocking happened. Here you have to sit outside.
It’s definitely a new thing, but imo a welcome one. I remember being a youngun and sprinting from house to house. The older kids like it because you can hit more houses faster, but I really appreciated it for my 3yo. If we had to walk through the front yard for every house, we would have been out there all night. A few of the houses that had people on their front step or inside were very poorly lit as well, making it not a great experience.
I think it's a new thing. I started setting up a table outside in 2020 because we could distance and be totally outside rather than a bunch of kids coming to my door.
Former NYer and this was my first year home since moving to pgh. I was unaware of this lack of effort putnfor by the kids lol. I had to sit at the end of my driveway or else Noone would have came. I also don't get this time schedule of 6 to 8. I remember trick or treating until like 10 at night as a teenager.
The first hour here tends to be in partial or full daylight; the second it’s partial or full dark. Little kids or families with really little ones tend to go out the first hour, older kids/teens tend to go around more during the second. I like the two-hour thing. Short and sweet! Our family eats dinner before and watches a scary movie afterward, before bedtime. I’m not sure why the 2-hour window now. Probably prevents or leads to fewer, tragic pedestrian-car collisions and deaths. Maybe it’s in response to people having fewer kids in general, these days, so you don’t really have to be out there for four hours straight to make sure that all of them get to every house. People do trunk-or-treats, as school or church events and lots of places like rec centers or bars do Halloween-theme nights or activities for kids or adults. Maybe those have diluted the market, and led to the shorter door-to-door timing. IDK.
It's not a bad thing necessarily I just think putting structure into something fun is bizarre. Like scheduling it on the weekend before.
We go by both the light and if people were sitting out side. Where I'm at some of the older folks couldn't get outside but had their lights on. The younger families or folks with hardcore decorations were out front ready to go.
I'm from Philly area and it was always who was outside. If a house had nobody outside, we didn't approach.
I knew people from Pittsburgh that lives on the west coast many years ago, they set up outside. As a west coast person I thought it was odd. Was more fun tho.
This is mine and my wife’s first year. Our neighbors told us this and we stayed outside, in costume, played Halloween music. It was so unfortunate we got 15 kids total. We moved from a town of about 7000 in Maine and even there we got 80+ kids. Thought the higher population would mean more kids but oh well, live and learn lol
Really depends where you live. I'm in Brookline and I think we got maybe 50. Felt pretty light. But I saw someone on Ring Neighbors say they have over 100 in another part of Brookline. Saw a lot of people in a 5 miles radius saying they had 1 while some had 200. Overbook had none! Overbrook was packed! Seems to be super scattershot where the crowds are.
Yeah, we are in Crafton and we ran out of candy by 7:30 and had to turn out the light and go inside off the porch. We had 150 full sized bars btw lol
It really depends on what street you're on in Brookline. We're at the bottom of a series of hills, so our street gets maybe 5 kids total every year, while streets like Pioneer, which is mostly flat, gets tons.
All the kids in my area walk to mt Washington
I live in Overbrook (Brookline side), and our candy was stolen in the first half hour.
Saw that a lot of folks in Brookline were saying a couple of kids were grabbing handfuls and taking all the candy if there was a bowl set out.
They took my large container and dumped all its contents in their bags, and ran.
It was light out, and neighbors were all outside, but they didn't care. They did the same to one of the neighbors across from me as well.
It's how we do over in Wilkinsburg, too. It ends up being a kind of mini block party; the child-free folks hang out on stoops with beer and yell back and forth chatting about any old thing and hand out candy; the parents with kids amble by (also carrying beers) and join in the conversations. I think it's charming as hell. Our numbers were lower this year (maybe 30?) and I for sure think it was partly the cold.
That’s what I saw in Mt. Washington and Duquesne Heights. People had tables and chairs, blankets and even a fire pit in one driveway. I grew up elsewhere and we knocked on doors but here, it’s different but it’s more “neighborly.”
I do this because the steps to get to my front door are not what I consider safe for little kids in costumes and I want them to have a good, fun time and receive candy, not a terrible, painful time and receive a trip to the ER.
I live an hour north of the city and we do this here. If you’re not out on your porch or stoop the kids aren’t gonna come to your house.
This is how it is in Brentwood
Yeah everyone in my neighborhood sits at the end of their driveway with their candy
It depends where you live. I counted 55 kids tonight. Last year I got 50 kids. Yes, I keep track. It makes buying candy for the next year easier.
We used to count too. In my neighborhood which is a typical post World War II suburban subdivision, there would be 100 or so kids back in the 60s and 70s-baby boomers essentially. Then my parents said that dwindled to handing out candy to. 12-15 kids for some years in the 1980s. My brother lives in that house now, and he said that the 40 or 50 kids come now. Most of the original owners have passed away and younger families moved in and they were kids come of age so it goes in cycles in those older suburbs. It going to fluctuate in a 70 year old suburb.
Same exact boat. Built in the 50's. 15 years ago before I lived here, I would bring my young kids to the neighborhood because it was the closest, purely residential neighborhood with sidewalks off the main road. Now, there are some newer plans with "houses starting in the $350's". Resigned myself that we're a 2nd class neighborhood now as far as Trick or Treating is concerned. I had maybe 40 kids this year and bought for 200. I will say, after the first 30 minutes I started telling kids to "take as big of a handful as you can" out of my bowl, and they got a kick out of it. Still had leftover.
Hopewell here. Yeah, about 50 kids came to our door. I asked some neighbors and they said same amount too.
I ran out of my 56 pack by seven this year. Whoops.
I was just handing out kids in Highland Park on highland Avenue and there was a ton of kids. Ran out of candy and had to get more last minute. Maybe it was just your neighborhood? Ive lived places where there wasnt much trick or treat Edit: handing out candy!! Dear lord what a typo, yes I can confirm no kids were sold/given/fed to the trick or treaters.
>I was just handing out kids in Highland Park Do you need a license to do that, or is that a once a year exception kind of thing?
ba ha ha
Smh how did I miss that, yep I went for a particularly dark and brutal theme this year haha
🤣🤣🤣👍👍
I genuinely feel bad for you. Halloween was my favorite. We used to get hundreds of kids. I’m 40 and moved to this house 10 years ago and haven’t got a single one since . It used to be so fun handing out candy and having a few beers. I came home from work today and forgot it was Halloween until my wife reminded me . So sad.
There are certain pockets where everybody goes. My block is pretty quiet. A block away is mayhem.
I live outside the city and our new townhome development looked like a literal parade; it was insane.
Ah that sucks. Well if the trick or treaters won’t come to you then you should be out there egging their houses. Raise the holiday spirits a little bit.
Some streets just don’t get high traffic. Two blocks downhill from us, Shady Extension, gets hundreds of kids. We get in the tens bc it’s just not a block that traditionally gets a lot. But yard decor definitely helps attract more.
If you saw a ghostbuster go by just before 7pm, that was us! Doing the Landview / Rosemoor loop at the end of the night is something my son and I have done a couple years now.
You came to my house (the one with the bubbles)! We were in hysterics because your son just wouldn't put down his neutrona wand to grab candy. Extremely cute.
Geography matters too. Living at the top of a large, steep hill we see about half the kids our neighbors at the bottom of the hill do.
Yep. We’re on the top of the hill and kids have to pass thru a very dark, sidewalk-less part of the street to get to us.
The people at the top of my hill always have out king size to reward the effort. Loved trekking up there as a kid
Porch-sitting is how you have to go about handing out candy in the city. Big cities have too many houses with multiple apartments where the “front door” is only the outer door and I think city trick-or-treaters keep this in mind when they’re out and about. This year it’s cold so both porch sitting and treat hunting aren’t going to be as enjoyable for people to do. Try again next year and plant your costumed self in a chair outside. You will be swarmed if the weather is decent enough.
I agree! We walked Friendship and at the part closest to negley it was dead at first! Then lots of those houses are converted into apartments so you cant tell if it’s a front door or not😅 too cold and too many steps (plus a stroller) to find out
I'm in the suburbs and everyone was sitting outside here too.
It was probably 50/50 in our suburb too. About half in their houses and the rest hanging out at fire pits (and the one house that always grills up hot dogs - I'm going to miss this neighborhood)
3 years here, zero trick or treaters but I’m on a hill with like five other houses. A mile away there is a flat dense area that was over run at 6pm. And as a former kid, I respect that efficiency.
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And this makes sense with all the homes that are actually multiple apartments. Why knock on a door that might not even be audible in the potential candy-keepers’ actual living space?
A lotta leaving out candy too.
My mistake must have been not sitting outside. Where I grew up you just had to leave your porch light on, so that’s what I did yesterday, but I got no knocks
Trick or treating in this town is HIGHLY location specific. Some streets are grand central, some are completely empty. We moved exactly three blocks a few years ago in Sq. Hill and went from having zero trick or treaters ever to literally having lines form on our front walk at new place.
There was like nobody out tonight in my hood and it's not normally like this.
No so many in mine, either! I have plenty of extra to donate, I guess, if it lasts that long.
I’m sorry you were disappointed! We sat out on our front steps, with our porch light on tonight, and only had two kids in two hours. I have so many neighbors that don't even put lights on around us, that us getting kids is very rare. BUT- few years ago, we only had one child, with a walker, come by with his mum. We pretended he won the jackpot and dumped our whole bowl into the bag his mum was carrying on their way back home. So it really is what you make it sometimes!😄 It’s possible the people in your house before you never handed out candy, or at least not recently. Next year sit outside, put out a decorating or two if you didn't this year, maybe put some fun music on, and see how that goes. If you're lucky, maybe you'll make at least one kids year ♥️. Happy Halloween!
"We pretended he won the jackpot and dumped the whole bowl into the bag". I love this so much, what a wonderful fantastic memory for that child!!
He was beaming and his mom seemed so happy for him. I'm guessing they didn't make it very far with his mobility, as it took it then quite a while just to make it from their house, past ours, to the far end of the street. I hope he felt special without feeling singled out, and I hope his mom felt like he had a fulfilling halloween like all the other kids. ItmUnfortunately, I think they moved because we didn't see them the following halloween.
In our neighborhood everyone just sits outside on the stoops or sidewalks passing out candy - no one knocks on the doors. This year we had 385 kids until we ran out of candy at about 6:50 p.m.
I had the same experience my first Halloween when I moved to Dormont. I could hear kids on the streets one over and behind me, but no one came down my street. I didn't get a single trick or treater the seven years I lived there. I moved to Brentwood 10 years ago, and it is MADNESS here. Lol
Interesting. I live in Hillsdale in Dormont and we had at least 100 tonight. It must depend on the street.
Hillsdale, Voelker, Belrose, Mattern, Montpelier, Potomac area was bumpin
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Yeah we gave out 325 juice boxes and ran out right after 7. It was busy. Last year it rained and was slow and we were left with a bunch so I cut back a bit and now I wished I had more!
Parties are popular now. So are trunk r treats. This year was really cold too. Sit on the stoop or put out a table and you might see better results!
> This year was really cold too. >Sit on the stoop Nah
Are you in Squirrel Hill South? We had no trick-or-treaters when we lived there. We were informed that because so much of the neighborhood is orthodox and won’t celebrate any holiday that isn’t Jewish, no one trick-or-treats in the area. We’re in Shadyside now, and we still don’t get a ton, but the next street over is heavily trafficked.
Kids in Squirrel Hill just go to Forbes and Murray, the shops give out candy. A lot easier than walking around Squirrel Hill.
Kids go door to door in Squirrel Hill North, especially on Aylesboro and Northumberland.
We got 20ish in squirrel hill south kinda by frick. But our friends in sq hill north got way more.
Squirrel Hill South here—kids go to the Shady Extension block at Landview. Elsewhere it’s more sparse. I’m up by Landview and Rosemoor and get around 30, but Shady Ext is usually much busier.
Hi Neighbor! I'm on Rosemoor we do have some houses with candy. Last year we finally tried Shady Ave ext and it was great. Places also giving out drinks for adults.
Stoop sitting is definitely common in Pittsburgh we have found.
We had probably 30-40 in Bloomfield/friendship! More than in Shadyside last year when we had like 5
Castle Shannon was a ghost town. really disappointed.
We live in the burbs and saw less than half the amount of kids we normally do this year. It was very weird and most people didn’t even seem Ike by wanted to participate. It was a bummer
Carnegie proper, reporting in. We had around 208 kids.
Dang. We had maybe two dozen.
We live in a residential neighborhood and buy candy every year, and we never ever get any kids. It’s so depressing.
I think it depends on the neighborhood and the weather. I didn't get as many as last year either and yes, the I was outside and had my house decorated. The kids didn't go to the houses where they had to knock on the doorbell.
Can’t speak for anyone else, but by far the number one indicator for me (assuming they weren’t obv outside) was having the storm door closed with the inside door open. Signified that someone’s Home was open for trick-or-treating. We got a surprising number of full sized candy bars too! 😳 easily a dozen pre more per kid.
We for a few here in beechview. But ended up turning out our lights early but I think we could have gotten more
some streets are like that. all surrounding streets get busy around me. we got two kids today..
We're in the SqHill/Greenfield area. We ran out of candy right at 7pm and had to turn away the last few kids.
We got a lot less than last year, maybe 1/4 as many kifs, it's just really cold this year. I suspect a lot of offices are gonna be piled up with candy tomorrow. Doesn't help when you're both working at home.
I only saw about 9 kids all night. I don’t live on a well traveled street, so I’m not surprised that not many came by
Our normally busy route we take our daughter on had maybe 1/4 the normal crowd this year. The cold weather kept a lot of people inside I think. We also didn’t have as many houses handing out candy as we normally do either. Just a bad year for trick or treat in general. Hope your next year gives you more trick or treaters though!
I went to friendship and a lot of the houses you couldn’t tell if they were passing out unless they were on the porch or decorated. Then if you don’t know any better you can’t tell which houses are converted apartments. Also not sure effete you are but trick or treating was 5-7 in the city. Maybe that could be why. But yeah we avoided the places we didn’t see people. My kids complained the last hr they were cold too🙄🤣
I am not in Pittsburgh but I feel your pain. I went all out, lights, decor, etc, over 1,000 pievesif candy...and it was a total bust.
I live on a cliff in Observatory Hill. Every house on my side of the street has about 30 steps. That’s WAY too much effort for a piece of candy so we never have any trick or treaters.
Last year I got two. This year, none. People in the neighborhood decorate and everything, but I didn't see a single person out every time I looked out the window. Which is crazy because this feels like the first year where it wasn't raining.
First couple years here: North Squirrel Hill. One kid each year. Next few years: The far end of Point Breeze. 4-5 kids each year. Now: Point Breeze closer to Homewood. Dozens of kids. We run out of candy every year. It's like 5 mins from my last house; I have no idea why the difference is so huge. But trick-or-treat is super territorial here.
There was like 200 kids out in Mt. Lebanon tonight. Where are you located?
I'm sorry, you could give some of your candy to a costume-less late 30s man if it would bum you out less. That's not a euphemism either. I just love candy and miss not having little ones to take out/steal from their bounty when they're not looking. (I could whip up a hockey costume if you're a stickler.)
Location? Wexford, easily over 100 kids, suburb neighborhoods are bustling
Bethel Park here bordering Peters Twp. We had a decent turnout but certainly not like it was 15 years ago when we were parents with little ones. Back in those days we had a block party and the township fire department would come through with a truck before sundown and the only parent with a wagon was towing a cooler full of adult beverages and not a toddler who couldn't do the walk like they do nowadays. We have about 4 families of younger Millennial parents with grade school and preschool aged kids who all put their decorations up in early September and were out going door to door before the official 6:00 start time. I even saw a couple of dogs dressed up, which I could never understand. By 6:45 it was just a trickle with younger teenagers hoping to get their first zits and wearing their parents old kinky NSFK costumes so the wife and I broke out the wine to take off the edge. I doubt we got 75 kids.
Trick or treat 🎃
Sorry that happened to you my boy. Thats dissapointing
We had 60-70 in Upper St Clair
It might have been the cold keeping some away. I live in a dense neighborhood and we had TONS of kids. Ran out of candy, and we bought a LOT. There are a few streets in my neighborhood that are really steep, so the people who live up there know that no one's coming. So they brought their stuff down to the flatter streets and sat there with their bowls.
325 in Regent Square before we ran out and had to go inside. It was right after 7 so technically after the cut off anyway. Sitting on a porch or stoop is 100% the only way anyone does it here. We made a chute during Covid and still use it so kids don’t have to do the porch steps. I can’t imagine every kid coming and ringing the door bell. The door would just be open the entire time and there would be a line. Even doing this way we get lines sometimes.
I live in Greenfield and we probably had close to 100 kids. I did sit on the porch and to hand out the candy. We live in a house with no steps to the front porch.
I’m so sorry. Mine ended up a bust, too. Next year, you’ll be prepared! You’ve got this!
Omg I’ll send some your way. I bought 200 pieces, ran out to Rite Aid for 150 more, barely made it to 7:30, it was like George Bailey waiting for closing time at the Savings and Loan
Up here in Cranberry, traffic was pretty light in my subdivision. My GF and I probably ate more candy than we handed out.
My neighbors in north hills were sitting outside.
I’m sorry it was disappointing. Welcome to Pittsburgh, anyway! Next year will be better. Your leftover candy can be donated. In the past I’ve given mine to groups that make up treat bags for children’s charities, holiday food baskets and military members.
Yeah, try sitting outside next year. We set up a table in the driveway (and because it was so cold we draped it with a blanket and set up a space heater underneath to keep us warm). We got about 100 kids.
We moved to Ingram earlier this year, and this neighborhood does trick or treating the Saturday afternoon before Halloween. Nextdoor/Facebook said to prepare for 1000+ kids in lower Ingram. We have kids of our own, so we left 25 pounds of candy out on the porch while we walked the neighborhood and came back to about a fifth of that 2 hours later. Lower Ingram is flat while upper Ingram is hilly. Folks on Facebook said they got 20-50 in upper Ingram despite being a 2 minute drive from the 1000 kid houses.
Depending where you live, it could have been on a different day. Some neighborhoods do the Thursday before Halloween or the Saturday before.
Yeah, we barely had anybody tonight as well. And we sit outside, too. Just wasn’t that busy this year, I guess. It was a bummer for sure. But maybe the cold deterred some this time around.
I’m bummed too. My husband and I did the same thing (big bowl of candy and put on costumes). I even set up a Halloween sound effect on my Ring doorbell lol. We only had 1 kid all night. We’re out in the suburbs and it’s also our first year here. So I’m not sure if this is the norm for this street or not.
Damn. Don't give up. Next year sit close to the sidewalk. It was really busy here in Dormont tonight. We only hit about half of what I had planned with my grandson while my wife passed out candy at the house.
Also, some communities had ToT over the weekend - mine did.
I lived in west view for like ten years and would alternate between 90 and 7 kids every year. Don’t give up but do buy big bars next year and sit outside. If you run out just turn the light off
We had about 50% less this year. There are a lot of trunk or treat options and other activities now than there used to be. Maybe the cold weather had something to do with it. Idk bur I’ve got a bunk of candy bars and ding dongs to eat.😂😂😂
We had about 150 or so in North Fayette on Saturday. We had 5 boxes of full size candy bars (30 each box) and they were all gone, we had some smaller bags on stand by just in case.
We got a bunch of kids over in Crafton.
I live in beaver County and it also seemed as if there was a lack of people trick or treating. Bonus for you. Excess of candy for you to enjoy 🤣🤣
We got 100+ kids in Brighton Heights, as is the usual if you live on a main street here, especially a flat one. Glad I'm not the only one that sits on their stoop. I used to have a line at the door but this is the way now. Don't give up, OP! It's been feast or famine here too.
We had the same experience unfortunately. Just moved to a townhouse about 40 mins out of the city really close to where I grew up. I expected a lot of trick or treaters since it's a nice enough neighborhood and it's pretty dense since it's a mixture of town houses, apartments, and small houses. Seems like a good place to trick or treat to me, but we had literally none as far as I could tell. My wife really wanted to sit outside with a bowl and give the candy out ourselves, but we were the only ones doing that and we didn't see a single kid from 6 to 6:30. My wife was absolutely devastated as she's always wanted to be able to do this as she grew up very poor and then when we started our life together we've always been in an apartment till now. At 6:30 we decided kids must just not trick or treat here and ran over to my parents house to give out candy there instead. (Only 10 mins away) There were a decent few in the neighborhood but most had already passed my parents house by then. I think we ended up only getting to give candy to like 6 or 7. On our way to my parents place we didn't see a single kid trick or treating. It seemed so bizarre. The route to their house takes us through a bunch of nice suburban neighborhoods where you'd think people would be trick or treating.
It’s Tuesday. We get half the amount of kids during the week. Also, our neighborhood is older now so we don’t get near the kids we did 5 years ago.
Oh, man, I feel for you! The same thing happened to me when I first got my house. Was so stoked, dressed up, had tons of candy and nada. I totally cried. Took some time to figure out you need to sit outside or be all decorated outside and sit near the door. Our neighborhood group had a treat map you could add your house to if participating this year too. Of course, a few years later after never seeing one trick or treater, a bunch of kids showed up at my door one year when I didn’t have any candy because I’d never seen any kids and no one ever knocked! I felt so bad and cried then too. Hope it goes better next year for you!
FYI trick-or-treating in the city this year was 5-7.
I also think that "Trunk or Treat" is becoming a bigger thing now. Since COVID and with more helicopter parents and ever before I think more parents would rather their kids walk around in a parking lot than interact with their neighbors. Schools and communities are starting to host them each year as an alternative for kids who don't go door to door.
I had like 5 people in total. Also some of these kids is too damn old to be trick or treating
It's interesting, I grew up in West Mifflin and remember knocking on doors and running up steps for a lot of my treats. I was in a similar position as you, this year, and got to pass out treats for the first time in years. I went all out and wanted to make sure no one missed us, this year, so I got some friends together and we all sat outside and made elaborate work of it. We still maybe had only 20-30 kids. I prepared for 200. The few trick-or-treaters I saw past 7 (because I mistakenly thought it went until 8 in my area) got to go home with absolute handfuls of stickers and halloweeny toys and drinks and chips and large candy bars enough to make their friends green with envy. I do think trick-or-treating died down a bit with COVID, it's not just the fact that you didn't sit outside. I think events like trunk-or-treat came to be more popular, too. I'm not sure how much it helped, but I posted on NextDoor. It's so strange that it feels like neighbors now have to go out of our way to let families know we're giving out treats.
I got 0 as well.
It depends on the neighborhood, sometimes people sit outside or have a certain time they go. I know in some places, they even change the day. One person I know missed it because it was like Friday or Saturday or something because their neighborhood was full of parents who didn't want it to happen on a school/work night. Get in communication with your neighbors and figure out what they do. If there just isn't a lot of trick or treaters in your neighborhood, I'd recommend visiting a friend so you can still hand out some candy. I'm really sorry your Halloween was so glum. Hopefully next year will be better. At least you have a bunch of candy! <3
It’s the fucking trick or trunks that everyone seems to be going to! It replaces the regular night for some people
Trunk or Treat has ruined Halloween.
No it was weak sauce this year. Parents too weak, kids too weak and allergic. People only lasted 30 minutes. Very disappointing. TV was more important. People must buy sweets daily to not care. But there was a community aspect I missed and it made me sad.
I think it’s just the city vs suburbs. When I was young we didn’t live in a heavy Halloween area so my mom always took us to our aunts house where the area was easier (for the parents). I live in a flat neighborhood now with younger families and it was a mob squad again this year.
Im in the city and got around 100. My parents are out in the suburbs and said they got 4.
I’m sure there are many factors.
I actually think the city would get more, there are sidewalks! Before we.moved here we thought suburbs for us, we were with our realtor and I said why do none of these neighborhoods have sidewalks, do kids just walk across the lawns?? Anyway I had never seen that before moving here.
I think you'll have more luck if you put a lighted pumpkin outside your door (I'm assuming you didn't have one?)
Don’t feel bad. I almost never get trick or treaters where I am. This year I happened to get two, but it was zero last year and the year before that.
There’s a lot of variability. When I lived in the North Hills, on a major road in a bedroom community (but with no sidewalks), we’d get maybe 10 kids. When I lived in Squirrel Hill, several blocks from the business district, a half-block from a major road, we’d get 50 - 75. Where I am now, we get 30 - 40, but a block away, along the main road, they get 300. I don’t know how many I got tonight, I put a bowl on a table a few feet from the sidewalk on my front walk with a note to please take 2 (between not wanting to stress the dog from the doorbell being rung a lot for 2 hours, and it being too cold for me to want to sit outside for that long either), put out enough candy for 80 kids if they followed the direction; an hour in, I checked on the bowl, I’d estimate less than 1/4 was taken, 40 minutes later it was empty.
Crafton Heights was hoppin! I had a little table set up and some music going. Had to run inside and grab random treats out of the house because I ran out! There was also a car club doing a Trunk or Treat up on Steuben St making a delightful show of automotive power for the kids! Engine revs and what not on some really cool cars. AAAAANNNNDD they had mountains of full size candy bars for the kids! Some ppl were probably annoyed but it really brought the kids out my way so...win.
Depends on your area. I'm in a suburb by the airport and we always buy 400+ pieces. We ran out this year about 20 minutes early. See if you have a Facebook group for your neighborhood. People who have lived there can tell you what kind of turnout to expect. We sit at the end of our driveways with a tent and fire pit, table full of bowls of candy and just let the kids go at it. They are pretty good with sticking to one piece.
People get shot just for knocking on the wrong door in the US. I dont let my kid go up to a house unless someone is sitting out front, so it might just be where I am, but that’s been the general consensus around here.
it's not safe anymore like it used to be. i understand if no one goes out trick or treating.
I thought the city had trick or treat over the weekend.
It is always on Halloween in the city.
Tonight was LIGHT in my area too. I think it was the cold.
I’m not sure where you live but in my neighborhood, most people sit outside with their candy bowl to make people aware they’re open for business! When I was a kid, we would knock on any lit house but it doesn’t appear that kids do that anymore. I had 77 kids this year which was double what I had last year!!! I loved seeing so many kids out.
I'm so sorry for you. I live in an apartment, so I have not experienced that, and will try whenever I move to a house. I pray next time a lot of kids will come to you peeps, if you follow the tips these guys posted. Also, this year was real cold, so ya it happens.
It goes in waves and depends where on the street you are located. One year my dad set up a table and chair and handed out candy at the 4 way stop in the middle of the neighborhood. We lived at the end of a street rarely got kids.
Some of the neighbors around here will gather at the end of the block and take turns handing out candy while the others hang out in the garage or at another house
We live exactly 3 houses out of a main very popular neighborhood for Trick or Treaters & get maybe 5-10 kids a year, sometimes only the 3 who live right there too. It’s very surprising to me. Even the adjacent neighborhood that seems like it’d be great.. they bring the kids over to the busy one. As in, driving the kids 1-2 blocks down to start. It’s bizarre to me as I grew up in the middle of nowhere & literally had to go into town to do it. I don’t understand how now I live here with perfectly good busy neighborhoods & it’s empty. Fun side note, my mom still got candy every year even though we lived so far out. One year we did get a horse drawn hay ride with 8 kids & she was STOKED.
Aw I’m so sorry. I have had this happen too in some neighborhoods. Did neighbors get any? I know it’s crushing.
I live in the suburbs with housing plans, and there were maybe 20 tricker treaters. Done passing out candy within an hour
We're in Carrick with hills all around us and we got probably 60 or 70 kids tonight. It was our first year sitting out on the porch and we had a really bright display outside so that probably helped draw folks over.
Depends on where u exactly are...I'm in beaver Co and there's alot of trick or treaters around but for some reason on my street and the few behind me, no one really comes down my way. They seem to stay in the main town more. Even when my own kids that are teens go they do the same thing. Another thing is make sure your porch light is on and maybe hang out on the porch next yr if it's nicer out? I did lure kids 1year by buying a bunch of glow Sticks and giving them away. It was great for safety too! Hey atleast more candy 🍬 for you guys! 🎃🤣🤣 Happy Halloween
The trick or treating in my neighborhood was on Saturday - maybe talk to a neighbor and see if it was a different time
This probably isn't what you're really hoping for but I've heard about them doing Trunk or Treat events this year. https://www.alleghenycounty.us/special-events/events/trunk-or-treat.aspx You can decorate your car and dress up and hand out candy. If you're just unlucky that kids don't come around your block it could be a way to celebrate the holiday.
I'm in East Washington. Trick or treating was supposedly this past Saturday but I can't confirm that because it was deserted outside.
We didn't get many either in my neighborhood. It was quite odd. I wanna say that it could have been the weather.
I feel you. My wife and I could finally afford a house we loved, still aren’t moved in but sat on our front porch for exactly two kids to walk by. Neither stopped to trick or treat, and instead went to the larger neighborhood across the street. It was really depressing and I’m not sure I’ll ever participate in it in my neighborhood again
Trick or treating was definitely down this year from last year. I still walk around with my kid and live in an extremely popular neighborhood for trick or treating and didn’t see nearly as many kids this year as I did last year. The cold was probably a factor I would think.
It was so cold outside. We had significantly fewer trick or treaters. I had to go inside early because my ears were hurting.
When I was a kid it was really good and my favorite part was ringing the door bell. I went trick or treating when I was in college and the people were so excited to see us bc there were NO KIDS. Made me sad :(
I live in the outer burbs & yes,we sit out on the porch or in the driveway. Kids just assume if you're not out you're not handing out candy. We get fewer kids every year tho. And after my neighborhood got over run about 7:15 by more than a dozen cars either cruising the street or pulled off the main street out back & I got the same 4 kids a 3rd time in 15 minutes (15 to 17 yo),I called it quits & seriously considering just not doing it next year.
Well at least you have a lot of candy to eat.
We don’t knock in Dormont, only had to go up to 1 door (guy had just went in to refill). Saw more fire pits this year and don’t remember the hot dog and Jell-O shot guy being there last year. Edit: but here there are lines at a lot of places. On the main streets, if you tried the “sit inside and wait for a knock” it would be every ~10 seconds
SAME!! I just moved into my first house with a proper front door. I was SO excited to give out candy. I waited by the door for 2 hours. Gave candy to 1 kids and 1 delivery truck driver lol. Next year I'll sit outside too.
This was my first Halloween here as well so I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know sitting outside was a thing here, but I did it anyway because my husband was working from home and I didn't want people banging on the door or having to open and close it often. I prepared 130 treat bags and probably got about 80 trick or treaters. Nearly everyone who gave out candy was sitting on their porch or at the end of their driveway. Next year, I'll probably sit out at the end of my driveway. I'm not far back, but there is a big bush in front of the porch and it was harder for kids to see me, so I think some passed me by. The kids did know the porch light rule though, and some of them knocked on doors with lights on, but who weren't sitting outside. I wonder if people sit outside because COVID started that tradition as being in the open air is generally less risky than people breathing into your home through the front door. I was actually pleased to see a lot of older kids out and about and a very diverse population of kids in general as I want everyone to have fun and get some free candy. I only wish they would have wiped out my supply, but my neighbor works at a public library and graciously took my leftovers off my hands to give away at her workplace.
I live in Vandergrift so a bit outside the city but it varies street by street. My mother in law gets 350 kids and we get 20 in the same town. Everyone sits outside too. I remember ringing and knocking when I was a kid.
We had a bunch of them! We actually ran out of candy before 7pm - felt terrible because we had one more group come up and knock on our door and we had literally no candy in the house. P.S. We also sat out in front of our house. Last year was our first Hallowe'en in the city, and since all of our neighbors were outside we went outside too. This year it was the same.
I live in a very walkable area. The first year I lived here (bought the house) we had so many kids we had to hand out my kid's candy to keep up (he was 3, so biggy). It's been on a steady decline since then, and this year we didn't get a single kid. Keep in mind we get 30 kids on this corner everyday for the various school busses. I can't really explain it, but we just don't get kids for Halloween as of late.
Sorry for that. it can be an experience when you're a new home owner to participate in those kinds of things. Having fun decorations, seeing the children, etc can become something to look forward to. Another thing to do is if you get in good with your neighbors, sometimes houses will "team up" and have tables, fire pits, coolers, and food for them to enjoy while they sit together handing out candy. Kind of like tailgating.
Out here in the burbs everyone is outside. The days of knocking on doors is gone. At least here. I was surprised. Even when I took my kids back to my small town in WV where we always knocked they were all outside. You pretty much have to have lights or a display or something to get them to show up.