"With Halloween falling on a Saturday this year, Hackettstown is gearing up for a full day of sweet traditions, costume-clad fun, and community celebration," TAPinto Hackettstown reported on Sept. 30.
"Full day" is accurate. On Oct. 31, 2026, the town's Halloween starts at noon on the Centenary University campus and ends at 8 p.m. on neighborhood porches. In between, the action moves from one spot to the next: the campus, the Gazebo, two parking lots and a riverside park. Each stop has its own time window, and the windows overlap. That changes how a family plans the day. A weeknight Halloween is mostly about the 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. door-to-door window. This year the parts that run on a fixed schedule all happen before most porch lights come on.
The parade moved two hours earlier
Start with the time, because one of the official pages still shows the old one.
The Hackettstown Business Improvement District's Halloween Downtown overview page was last updated in January. It lists parade lineup at 2 p.m., the parade at 3 p.m. and the Gazebo event from 3 to 5 p.m. Newer listings all give an earlier time. The BID's own event calendar lists the 13th Annual Halloween Downtown for Oct. 31 from 1 to 3 p.m. Two TAPinto reports, from Sept. 22 and Sept. 30, put lineup and costume judging at noon and the parade start at 1 p.m.
Under the newer schedule, a family arriving at 2:50 p.m. for a 3 p.m. parade would arrive minutes before the Gazebo event is scheduled to end, after the parade, the giveaways and most of the downtown trick-or-treating. We found no published rain date for the parade. Before heading out that morning, check the BID event page.
The day, stop by stop
Here is the Saturday in order, based on the September reporting and the BID event calendar.
| Time | Where | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 12:00 p.m. | Centenary University, West Moore Street between Beatty Street and Second Avenue | Parade lineup and costume judging |
| 1:00 p.m. | West Moore Street to the Gazebo at Main and West Moore | Parade steps off, led by the costume winners |
| 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. | The Gazebo and the downtown strip | Giveaways, live DJ, trick-or-treating at downtown businesses |
| 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. | Trinity United Methodist Church rear lot, 213 Main St. | Trunk-or-Treat, with a Hackettstown Free Public Library outreach table |
| Afternoon | Municipal Lot #2, behind 149 Main St. | Second Trunk-or-Treat |
| 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. | Riverfront Park, 213 Seber Road | Zombie Fun Run/Walk |
| 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. | Neighborhoods townwide | Door-to-door trick-or-treating |
Noon at Centenary
Judging happens during lineup, so costumes need to be finished by noon. Prizes go in five categories: infant to 3 years, 4 to 6, 7 to 10, Family, and Pet, open to pets of any age. Category winners lead the parade down West Moore Street alongside Mayor Jerry DiMaio. Because of the Family and Pet categories, a group costume or a dressed-up dog has its own shot at the front of the line.
1 p.m. at the Gazebo
The parade ends at the Gazebo at the corner of Main and West Moore, and the giveaways are handed out there. Candy comes from Mars Snacking. WRNJ Radio brings treats, Hackettstown Stormwater Management brings gifts, and Donaldson Farms gives away free pumpkins while supplies last. "While supplies last" is the reason to stay with the parade instead of joining it at the end.
A live DJ plays downtown after the parade, and children can trick-or-treat at participating shops along the strip.
The two parking lots
The Trunk-or-Treats are a short walk off Main Street: one in the rear lot of Trinity United Methodist Church at 213 Main St., the other in Municipal Lot #2 behind 149 Main St. Event signs point the way. The Hackettstown Free Public Library will have an outreach table at the Trinity lot from 1 to 3 p.m. That's the same window as the Gazebo, so families can cover the lot and Main Street in one trip.
2 p.m. at Riverfront Park
The BID calendar lists a Zombie Fun Run/Walk for Oct. 31 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Riverfront Park, 213 Seber Road. The listing doesn't include a fee or an organizer. It starts an hour before the downtown event ends and runs two hours past it. A household with older kids who are done with candy can head to the park after the parade, while younger siblings stay with the Trunk-or-Treats.
3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at home
Neighborhood trick-or-treating runs from 3 to 8 p.m. townwide. The window opens just as the downtown event ends. Families can walk home from the Gazebo and keep going on their own block, and anyone handing out candy should be ready for knocks well before dark.
The week that leads up to it
Because Halloween lands on a Saturday, the build-up gets a full week of weekday evenings. Several local organizations have filled them.
- Through Oct. 31, Donaldson Farms, 358 Allen Road. Fall Harvest Weekends run Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus Columbus Day on Oct. 12. There's no entry fee. Food and activities cost extra, and pick-your-own is priced by weight. Hayrides are $3 per person, and children 4 and under ride free. Pumpkin picking is open daily through Halloween, and the farm market is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. On weekdays, visitors bring pumpkins back from the field in wheelbarrows, not on a hayride.
- Oct. 21, 4 to 5 p.m., Hackettstown Free Public Library. Autumn Decor: Mini Birdhouse Painting.
- Oct. 27, 5 to 6 p.m., library, 110 Church Street. Build Your Own Scarecrow, for ages 11 and under.
- Oct. 29, 6 to 8 p.m., Fromage, 159 Main St. A Halloween Charcuterie Class for $55, according to the BID calendar.
- Oct. 30, 11 a.m. to noon, library. Halloween Story Time for children 5 and under.
Donaldson Farms is on this list and on Saturday's schedule. The farm runs its own pumpkin weekends through Oct. 31 and also supplies the free pumpkins at the Gazebo. Its last Fall Harvest Weekend day falls on Halloween itself, so a family could pick in the morning and still make the noon lineup at Centenary. That only works if the costumes go on before the drive to Allen Road.
A new stop on West Moore Street
The parade route on West Moore Street has a new business this fall. Three Elizabeth's Tea Parlor celebrated its grand opening at 107 West Moore St. with a Saturday morning ribbon cutting, WRNJ Radio reported. It serves teas, scones and sweets and is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., TAPinto reported. The same report said tea sandwiches were planned for mid-October. Those posted hours include Saturdays, so the parlor's regular schedule covers the whole downtown portion of Halloween.
The weekend continues on Sunday, Nov. 1. Philly Pretzel Factory at 150 Mountain Ave. will close its Hackettstown shop that day after 13½ years and is holding a free-pretzel day on its final day of business, TAPinto reported. The business plans to reopen at Roxbury Mall, 275 Route 10 East in Succasunna, with a January 2027 target.
If you're mapping out Oct. 31 and wondering which side of town makes it easiest to walk from the Gazebo to your own street before 3 p.m., Team McLain is happy to talk through Hackettstown block by block. Reach out to Debbie McLain and let's connect.
