"No more wondering what night it will be each year," Orange Township wrote when it reminded residents that trick-or-treat now has one fixed date. The township's September 2 notice says the Board of Trustees voted last year to make October 31 the permanent trick-or-treat date, with hours of 6 to 8 p.m.
A fixed date moves around the week from year to year. In 2026, October 31 falls on a Saturday. This is the first time the rule has put Halloween on a weekend, which gives Lewis Center an open afternoon before trick-or-treat starts. Highbanks Metro Park has scheduled a free program for that afternoon, plus a run of free evening and midday programs in the week before.
What the Permanent Date Actually Changed
The township framed the vote as ending the yearly question of which night it would be. Now the date never moves, and the weekday changes every year instead. This year that weekday is Saturday. The township's notice gives one window, October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. The notice doesn't mention any cost or registration, and none applies to a neighborhood trick-or-treat night.
The fixed date also lets the rest of the local calendar plan around it. Highbanks Metro Park is at 9466 Columbus Pike on US 23 North, inside Lewis Center. It has a free, all-ages drop-in program on Halloween itself, and it has spread its other late-October programs over the nine days before.
Saturday, October 31, by the Clock
Here is the day laid out using the hours each organization has posted:
| Time | What's happening | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6:30 a.m. | Highbanks opens on fall and winter hours | 9466 Columbus Pike | — |
| Noon to 2 p.m. | Drop In: Creepy Critter Crafts, all ages | Highbanks Nature Center | $0, no registration |
| 6 to 8 p.m. | Orange Township Trick-or-Treat | Neighborhoods across the township | No cost listed |
| 8 p.m. | Highbanks closes for the night | 9466 Columbus Pike | — |
Metro Parks lists Highbanks hours from October 1 through March 31 as 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The craft session sits right in the middle of the day on the Franklin County Metro Parks activity listing, at the Nature Center, for all ages, with no fee and no sign-up.
Between 2 p.m., when the crafts end, and 6 p.m., when trick-or-treat begins, there are four hours. On a weekday Halloween, those hours are usually taken up by school pickup and the commute home. This year they're free. The park closes at 8 p.m., the same minute trick-or-treat ends.
The Nine Days Before, in Order
Halloween Saturday ends a stretch of free Highbanks programs that starts the Thursday before. In date order:
- Thursday, October 22, 1 to 3 p.m. America 250: Adult Off-trail Hidden History hike, starting at Highbanks Nature Center. Ages 18 and up, $0, no registration.
- Friday, October 23, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Adaptive Adventures: Campfire Cooking at Highbanks Northern. All ages, $0, no registration.
- Friday, October 23, 1 to 2:30 p.m. For Adults 50+: Campfire Cooking, also at Highbanks Northern. $0, no registration.
- Saturday, October 24, 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Not-So-Spooky Lantern Hike, meeting at the Highbanks Big Meadow Picnic Area. All ages, $0, no registration.
- Friday, October 30, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Spooky Cemetery Night Hike at Stratford Ecological Center. Ages 8 and up, $5 per person.
- Saturday, October 31. Creepy Critter Crafts at noon, trick-or-treat at 6.
Two Saturdays, a week apart, follow the same pattern. Each has an evening event that starts around dusk and wraps up by 8, when Highbanks closes. The lantern hike on the 24th runs from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. on the Big Meadow. The next Saturday, trick-or-treat runs from 6 to 8 p.m. on neighborhood sidewalks. Both are free and need no sign-up.
Who each program is built for
Each entry on the Highbanks list names its audience, and the audiences barely overlap. The Thursday history hike is for adults only and goes off-trail. Friday has two campfire cooking sessions back to back, both listed at Highbanks Northern, one adaptive program open to all ages and one for adults 50 and older. The lantern hike and the Halloween crafts are open to everyone. Metro Parks notes that program end times are approximate, and the Highbanks naturalists take questions at 614-846-9962.
Stratford Ecological Center's fall page adds the one paid item, the Friday night cemetery hike. It costs $5 per person and is limited to ages 8 and up, so it's aimed at older kids.
The Glen Oak Trail Segment Due Back Around the Same Week
One local path has been out of the picture all fall. On September 2, Orange Township posted that the section of the Glen Oak Trail next to Summersweet Circle, Sunflower Street and Scarlet Avenue would close on September 4 for about eight weeks of construction, depending on weather, with no detour.
Eight weeks from September 4 is about October 30, the day before Halloween. The Powell-Olentangy Journal reported that this timeline would put reopening around late October. The paper also noted that the township hasn't set a firm end date or described what the work involves. As of mid-October, we haven't found any notice that the segment has reopened. If your trick-or-treat route uses that stretch, plan on it being closed until the township says otherwise. The township's number for questions is (740) 548-5430.
A Burger Counter on Cameron Avenue, Still Getting Ready
After a weekend of hikes and candy, a dinner spot may be on your mind. One local option is coming but not open yet. NBC4 reported on October 2 that TRIO Burger, a locally owned restaurant, is getting ready to open at 1329 Cameron Ave. in the building where Flamin' Feathers used to be. The station says the menu will include made-to-order smashburgers in classic, mushroom Swiss and jalapeño versions, plus Chicago-style hot dogs, milkshakes and loaded fries. The dining room has black-and-white checkered floors, dark green seating and a newspaper-themed accent wall.
A spokesperson told NBC4 the restaurant has no opening date yet but is "getting very close" to welcoming customers. Nobody has said whether it will open before October 31. Until the restaurant announces an opening date, it's safer to leave it out of your Halloween plans.
Next Year's Version of This Calendar
The trick-or-treat rule now does the planning for you. The date stays October 31 and the hours stay 6 to 8 p.m.; only the weekday changes. This year it's a Saturday, so the day can start with crafts at the Highbanks Nature Center at noon and end with the porch light going off at 8. You'll find more about the area on our Lewis Center neighborhood page, and the late-October calendar in nearby Westerville is covered in our post on its early-evening season.
If you're decorating the porch this year and wondering what your Lewis Center home would be worth if you put it on the market, Connie J Sadowski can put together a current valuation for your street, with no obligation. Get your free home valuation whenever it suits you, even after the candy is gone.
