Here's When You Can Expect To See Trick-or-Treaters At Your Door

Updated Oct. 30 at 11:55 p.m.

Halloween, with children sprinting around in costumes and parents dreading the sugar rush, is right around the corner.

So how did this tradition begin?

The term “trick-or-treat” dates back to a 1927 edition of the Alberta Canada Herald in which it printed, “The youthful tormentors were at back door and front demanding edible plunder by the word ‘trick or treat’ to which the inmates gladly responded and sent the robbers away rejoicing.”

If you leave your lights on, here are the times you can expect trick-or-treaters to be knocking on your door Tuesday night.

Marion County:

• Beech Grove: 5 to 8 p.m.
• Cumberland: 5 to 8 p.m.
• Indianapolis: 6 to 8 p.m.
• Lawrence: 5 to 7 p.m.
• Speedway: 6 to 8 p.m.

Hamilton County:

• Carmel: 5 to 8 p.m.
• Fishers: 6 to 8 p.m.
• Noblesville: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Westfield: 5 to 8 p.m.

Hendricks County:

• Avon: 6 to 8:30 p.m.
• Brownsburg: 6 to 8:30 p.m.
• Danville: 6 to 9 p.m.
• Pittsboro: 6 to 8 p.m.
• Plainfield: 6 to 9 p.m.

Boone County:

• Lebanon: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
• Zionsville: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Johnson County: 

• Franklin: 6 to 8 p.m.
• Greenwood: 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Hancock County:

• Fortville: 6 to 9 p.m.
• Greenfield: 5 to 8 p.m.
• McCordsville: 5 to 8 p.m.
• New Palestine: 5 to 9 p.m.

To make Halloween festivities a treat rather than a trick, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security provides safety tips for children and parents.

Choosing a costume:

• When planning a costume, consider an option that is reflective and bright. Also consider using reflective tape on the costume or trick-or-treat bag for greater visibility.
• Make sure costumes are above floor length and all accessories fit properly to prevent tripping or entanglement.
• Masks can limit or block eyesight. Consider using non-toxic makeup, paint or decorative accessories as a safer and easier option.

Trick-or-treating: 

• A parent or guardian should accompany children while they make their way around the neighborhood to collect candy
• Have children carry flashlights or glow sticks to keep them easily visible to other trick-or-treaters and drivers
• Stay in a group and make sure to communicate where to go. Agree on a specific meeting time and destination for older children that may be trick-or-treating alone.
• When trick-or-treating, if there is no sidewalk available, walk towards the far edge of the street. Never cut through alleys or across yards. Make sure to use crosswalks and look both ways when crossing the street.

Candy:

• When handing out treats on Halloween, make sure to not give out homemade or unwrapped treats to children.
• Make sure to check all candy before being eaten. Only eat candy that is in its original wrapper and unopened.
• Once the candy comes out, everyone is a goblin! Remind children not to eat all their candy at once or it can make them sick. Having a snack or meal before going out to trick-or-treat can help.

Drivers:

• Be on alert when driving through residential neighborhoods during trick-or-treating hours.
• Children are more than twice as likely to be killed by a car while walking on Halloween night as at any other time of the year.
• Drive slowly and eliminate any distractions that might break focus on the road and surroundings.
• Take extra time to look both ways at intersections, medians and curbs for any children trying to cross.

Indiana Department of Homeland Security also urges parents to teach children how to call 911 in case of an emergency, if suspicious activity is occurring or if tainted candy is suspected.