Allison Park Halloween Events 2026: Your October Guide

On the official calendars, Allison Park's Halloween season starts on Saturday, October 17, when a full-size trebuchet launches pumpkins across the amphitheater field at Hartwood Acres. October 31 comes two weeks later. By then, the same park on Middle Road has hosted Halloween events on two separate weekends.

The county, Hampton Township and the Latodami Nature Center have built a rotation around Hartwood's two dates. Hartwood holds the first weekend and the last one. North Park and the Hampton Community Center fill the days in between. Each event draws a slightly different crowd, so a family with a toddler, a household with a costumed dog and a group of older kids who like the woods after dark can each find the date that suits them.

Two weekends on Middle Road

Allegheny County Parks runs both Hartwood events from the same address, 4000 Middle Road in Allison Park. The first is Punkin Chunkin on Saturday, October 17. The second is the county's Trunk or Treat on Sunday, October 25, held in the amphitheater parking lot. Here is the whole stretch, in order:

Hartwood's two events are built differently. The first is a five-hour festival with a stage schedule and a row of vendors. The second is a two-hour candy-and-car event. Most of the planning effort belongs to the first weekend.

October 17: a trebuchet, a dog park and a row of food trucks

The county co-hosts Punkin Chunkin with SHARP Robotics from the Sarah Heinz House. Their trebuchet throws pumpkins across the amphitheater field from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free, and the county recommends registering so it orders enough supplies. The county's listing still contains one line that says "2025." The page header and the event details both give Saturday, October 17, 2026.

The vendor list could feed a family for the whole afternoon:

• Hop Farm Brewing Company
• The Roaming Bean, for coffee
• Millie's Homemade Ice Cream
• Yovi's
• Aviva Brick Oven
• Le Oriental
• Our Neighborhood Farmstead

The rest of the program is aimed at younger kids. The Topolino Sisters tell stories, Faces by Christina does face painting, Sarah Heinz House runs a craft table and there is cookie decorating. On the stage, Pittsburgh Musical Theater performs from noon to 12:30. Miss Cassidy Creates follows at 1 p.m. with a 45-minute music and dance party.

The middle of the day packs in the most. Bark or Treat runs from noon to 2 p.m. at the Hartwood dog park, right next to the amphitheater. Dogs in costume get a free treat, and owners can hunt for tennis balls hidden around the dog park to trade for prizes. That window overlaps both stage sets. A household that brings both kids and a dog can cover all three without moving the car.

All Punkin Chunkin events depend on the weather. The county posts day-of changes on its Allegheny County Parks Facebook page.

The middle week moves to North Park and Lochner Way

After Hartwood's first weekend, the events move west and toward the township. Campfire Ghost Stories comes first, on Thursday, October 22, from 7 to 8 p.m. on the North Park Boathouse Lawn at 10301 Pearce Mill Road. The storytellers are Josh and Gab, and the county says ASL interpretation will be available. Seating is up to you, so bring blankets and chairs. Costumes are encouraged, and one wins a prize. It is the only evening event in the stretch with a set start time before the Latodami night hike at the end of the month, and it ends early enough for a school night.

Saturday, October 24 is busier. Hampton Township's Halloween Parade runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hampton Community Center, 3200 Lochner Way. The township lists a costume contest for children 10 and under, plus candy, cookies and treats for everyone. The same day, the Latodami Nature Center leads a day hike on North Park's Orange Trail from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The hike covers the parade's entire window. Households with both a young parade-goer and a hiker will probably need to split up for the morning.

The county also holds a Trunk or Treat on October 24, but at South Park's Wave Pool parking lot in Bethel Park. Allison Park's edition is the next afternoon, so a family can do the Hampton parade on Saturday and the Hartwood trunks on Sunday without any conflict.

October 25: Hartwood again, in the parking lot

The second Hartwood event is shorter and set up differently. Trunk or Treat runs from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 25, in the amphitheater parking lot. The county describes it as a "Halloween candy and car cruise." It encourages costumes for everyone and decorated vehicles for anyone handing out candy.

Trick-or-treaters don't register for this one. People and organizations who want to hand out candy fill out an interest form on the county's page. If a neighbor, a youth team or a community group has wanted to decorate a trunk, that form is how they get a spot. Like the October 17 events, this one depends on the weather.

The Punkin Chunkin vendor row isn't listed for this event, so dinner afterward is up to you. One recent local option is YOYO Panda at Duncan Manor Plaza, 1701 Duncan Avenue, Suite 5. Pittsburgh Magazine included it in its January 2026 roundup of new dining spots.

Friday night bats, then the streets on Saturday

The night before Halloween, the Latodami Nature Center leads "Bewitching Bats," a Halloween hike from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 30. The nature center is part of North Park, but its listed address is 575 Brown Road in Wexford, which matters if you're using GPS.

Halloween falls on a Saturday this year. Allison Park mail goes to parts of several municipalities, and each one posts its own trick-or-treat hours:

1. Indiana Township posted a notice in August 2026 setting trick-or-treat for October 31, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m.
2. McCandless lists October 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. in its standing FAQ. A separate 2026 notice did not turn up in this research.
3. Shaler says in its FAQ that Halloween is always celebrated on October 31, and it recommends 6 to 8 p.m.
4. Hampton's 2026 trick-or-treat hours did not turn up in this research. The township calendar entry we could find is for October 31, 2024, from 6 to 8 p.m. For this year's official time, check the township calendar.

None of the municipalities that have posted a schedule moved trick-or-treat off October 31. That makes October 30 and 31 back-to-back evening events, with the bat hike on Friday and the neighborhood streets on Saturday. Counting from the trebuchet on October 17, the season runs two full weeks.

Late October is also when a lot of Allison Park homeowners start thinking about the spring market, and people who have been to Hartwood and North Park in fall know what curb appeal looks like in this season. If you're curious how your home would show at this time of year, Luz Campbell can walk you through it in English or Spanish. Request a Home Valuation & Consultation before the holiday calendar fills up.