Most Des Moines-area communities will hold trick-or-treating Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. Ames, Perry, Runnells and Winterset have different schedules for Friday, Oct. 30.
Published Oct. 19, 2026.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Halloween trick-or-treating in Des Moines is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. Most nearby communities, including West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Waukee and Johnston, will follow the same schedule.
Some central Iowa cities will celebrate a day earlier. Ames has scheduled trick-or-treating for Friday, Oct. 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., while Perry and Runnells will observe the traditional Beggars’ Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. Winterset also has Friday trick-or-treating hours, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The different dates matter in a region where Beggars’ Night traditionally fell on Oct. 30. Des Moines and several suburbs have since shifted their neighborhood trick-or-treating to Halloween itself, Oct. 31.
All times below are local Central Time. Neighborhood trick-or-treating schedules are separate from community trunk-or-treat events and other organized Halloween celebrations.
Halloween 2026 trick-or-treat dates and times by city
Most cities in the Des Moines metro have scheduled two hours of neighborhood trick-or-treating on Saturday, Oct. 31. Ames, Perry, Runnells and Winterset are among the communities observing Friday, Oct. 30, instead.
| City | Date | Trick-or-treat hours |
|---|---|---|
| Adel | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Altoona | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Ames | Friday, Oct. 30 | 5:30–7:30 p.m. |
| Ankeny | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Bondurant | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Carlisle | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Clive | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Des Moines | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Gilbert | Friday, Oct. 30 | 5–7 p.m. |
| Grimes | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Indianola | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Johnston | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Norwalk | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Perry | Friday, Oct. 30 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Pleasant Hill | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Polk City | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Runnells | Friday, Oct. 30 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Urbandale | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Waukee | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| West Des Moines | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Windsor Heights | Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6–8 p.m. |
| Winterset | Friday, Oct. 30 | 5–7 p.m. |
Dates and times reflect municipal schedules and local announcements available as of Oct. 19, 2026. Communities may issue additional instructions or weather-related changes closer to Halloween.
Ames will hold trick-or-treating Oct. 30 because of Iowa State football
Ames is one of the area’s most notable exceptions to the Oct. 31 schedule.
The city has set Friday, Oct. 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. as its recommended trick-or-treating window because Iowa State University has a home football game scheduled on Halloween.
The City of Ames’ Oct. 30 trick-or-treat schedule also includes safety recommendations from the Ames Police Department for children, caregivers and drivers.
Perry and Runnells will keep Beggars’ Night on Friday, Oct. 30
Perry and Runnells are keeping the earlier date, with residential trick-or-treating scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m.
In Perry, the citywide hours follow an afternoon of organized Halloween activities. The Perry Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its downtown Spooktacular Trick-or-Treat Walk from 4 to 6 p.m., while a separate event at Dallas County Hospital runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Runnells also retained the traditional Oct. 30 Beggars’ Night schedule rather than moving its neighborhood celebration to Halloween.
Winterset has a Friday schedule as well, with neighborhood trick-or-treating from 5 to 7 p.m. The community also has a downtown Trick or Treat Around the Square event scheduled earlier that afternoon, from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
Des Moines and many suburbs now celebrate on Halloween itself
For decades, many central Iowa families went door to door on Oct. 30, a tradition called Beggars’ Night. Children traditionally shared jokes, songs or riddles before receiving candy.
The schedule changed after severe weather forced several communities to move their 2024 celebrations to Halloween. Des Moines subsequently made Oct. 31 its regular trick-or-treat date, and several suburbs adopted similar changes.
For 2026, Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. is the scheduled window in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Altoona, Clive, Grimes, Johnston, Urbandale, Waukee and several nearby communities.
Some cities have slightly different policies despite sharing the same date this year. Bondurant, for example, schedules neighborhood trick-or-treating on the last Saturday of October. In 2026, that date falls on Halloween.
Related: Des Moines ends its longtime Beggars’ Night tradition.
Waukee, Grimes and Johnston have additional Halloween activities
Neighborhood trick-or-treating is not the only option for families this October.
Waukee has scheduled Halloween at the Park for Friday, Oct. 23, at Centennial Park, including a free outdoor screening of Hotel Transylvania at 6:30 p.m. The city’s neighborhood trick-or-treating will still take place Oct. 31.
Grimes has a free Trunk or Treat on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the South Sports Complex, separate from its Oct. 31 neighborhood hours.
Johnston has also scheduled Town Center Trunk or Treat for Wednesday, Oct. 28, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, ahead of its neighborhood trick-or-treating on Oct. 31.
Participating households can signal they are handing out candy with porch lights
Several metro cities, including Ankeny, Johnston and West Des Moines, encourage participating households to turn on their front porch or entry lights during trick-or-treating hours.
Municipal safety recommendations also include wearing visible or reflective costume accessories, carrying flashlights, using sidewalks and marked crossings, and taking extra care when driving through residential neighborhoods.
The main Halloween trick-or-treat period in Des Moines is 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Families in Ames, Perry, Runnells, Gilbert and Winterset have Friday, Oct. 30, schedules instead.
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