Halloween on Long Island: October Traditions and What They Show Home Buyers

Halloween on Long Island is a whole month, not one night. October brings fall festivals, pumpkin farms, lantern walks in the state parks, and costume parades in the downtowns. These are the traditions people search for every year, and most of them are close to the towns I work in.

This guide lists the big October events with 2026 dates, each one checked against the organizer's own page. Then it covers something most event lists skip: what October can show you about a town and a house if you're thinking about buying here.

What are the biggest October events on Long Island in 2026?

Three events draw the largest crowds. Dates and hours come from each organizer, so check their pages before you go.

• Long Island Fall Festival, Huntington. October 9 to 12, 2026, at Heckscher Park. Hours are Friday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Monday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It has a carnival, live music on the Chapin Stage, food, and a vendor market, according to the Huntington Chamber, which runs it.
• The Oyster Fest, Oyster Bay. October 17 and 18, 2026, on the streets of Oyster Bay and in Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. This is the 43rd year. The Town of Oyster Bay calls it the East Coast's largest waterfront festival and says it draws up to 200,000 people.
• RISE of the Jack O'Lanterns, Wheatley Heights. 21 select nights from October 2 to November 1, 2026, at Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts, 185 Colonial Springs Road. The trail has more than 10,000 lit objects, including 7,000 hand-carved jack o'lanterns, and advance tickets are required, according to the event website.

Wheatley Heights borders Dix Hills, and Heckscher Park is by Main Street in Huntington. If you're looking at homes in either area, these events are close by.

What Halloween events are near Smithtown, Kings Park, and Huntington?

The state parks run small, low-cost programs that fill up fast.

• Spooky Lantern Walk, Smithtown. October 24, 2026, at Caleb Smith State Park Preserve, 581 West Jericho Turnpike. The preserve covers 543 acres, according to New York State Parks. Call the park office at (631) 265-1054 for the time and fee.
• Haunted Lantern Walk, Kings Park. October 23, 2026, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Sunken Meadow State Park. The fee is $4 and you have to register ahead, according to the park schedule posted by LongIsland.com. The same schedule lists a Halloween morning program on October 31 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.
• A Huntington Halloween. The Town of Huntington and the Huntington Village merchants host trick-or-treating and a costume parade in Huntington Village. In 2025 it ran on October 31 from noon to 6 p.m., with the parade gathering by the Huntington Post Office at 4 p.m., according to the Town of Huntington. Check the Town's website for the 2026 plan.

Thinking about these areas? Read my guides to buying a home in Smithtown, buying a home in Kings Park, and buying a home in Huntington.

Where can you pick pumpkins near Dix Hills and Hicksville?

Pumpkin picking is a fall staple here. Two spots are close to my service areas.

• F&W Schmitt Family Farm, Melville. The fall festival runs September 19 to October 31, 2026, on weekends and holidays, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 26 Pinelawn Road. Weekend admission is $24 for ages 2 and up. It includes a 7-acre corn maze and hayrides, and pumpkin picking costs extra, according to the farm.
• Hicks Nurseries Fall Festival, Westbury. The season runs September 12 to November 1, 2026, at 100 Jericho Turnpike, with an animated Otto the Ghost story and seasonal displays, according to LongIsland.com. Westbury is a short drive from Hicksville.

Farms out east, around Riverhead and the North Fork, are a bigger day trip. Leave early on October weekends, since traffic heading east can build fast.

When is trick-or-treating on Long Island in 2026?

Halloween is Saturday, October 31, 2026. Trick-or-treating usually runs from late afternoon into the evening. Some downtowns, like Huntington Village, hold daytime trick-or-treating too. Check your town or village website for posted hours.

Clocks change that same night. Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026, according to NIST. After that, it gets dark about an hour earlier.

If you're driving on Halloween, slow down and watch for trick-or-treaters in places you don't expect them. If you're walking, cross at crosswalks or corners when you can. Both tips come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

At home, turn on the porch light, clear wet leaves off the steps and the walkway, and keep cords and decorations out of the path to your door.

What can October show you about a town before you buy?

October is one of the most honest months to tour a town. You see things a sunny June open house hides.

• Festival traffic. Visit a downtown like Huntington Village on a festival weekend. Notice where people park, which streets back up, and how long it takes to get in and out. If the house you like is near that downtown, this is what busy weekends look like.
• Dark evenings. After the clocks change, drive the commute and the block after sunset. Look at the street lighting, the sidewalks, and how the driveway works in the dark.
• Leaves and water. Fall rain and leaves show you how a property drains. Look at the gutters, the downspouts, and any low spots near the foundation.
• The first cold nights. Ask what heats the home, how old the system is, and whether there's an oil tank. You can hear and feel a heating system in October.
• Halloween night. Walk the block. You'll learn how the street handles foot traffic, how fast cars move, and how well it's lit.

Here's what that actually means for you: one October visit can answer questions about parking, noise, lighting, and upkeep that photos never will.

I wrote the same kind of checklist for summer in what home buyers should notice on July 4th. For prices and rates right now, see is Long Island real estate slowing down. Still choosing an area? Start with the best towns to live on Long Island.

What should Long Island homeowners do in October?

October is the month to get a house ready for the cold. The U.S. Department of Energy lists a few low-cost steps in its winter energy tips:

• Seal the leaks. Weatherstripping and caulk are low-cost ways to cut air leaks around doors and windows.
• Service the heat. Maintain the furnace or boiler, check the filters, and make sure the chimney works.
• Set the thermostat back. Turning it down 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day can save as much as 10% a year on heating, the Department says.

Add three more from my property management years: clean the gutters after the leaves drop, shut off and drain outdoor faucets before the first freeze, and test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms when you change the clocks.

Planning to sell in the next few months? Keep Halloween decorations simple so buyers see the house first. Clear the leaves before photos, and leave the outdoor lights on for evening showings. My guide on what to fix before selling a Long Island home covers the repairs that matter most.

How Kellen helps you find the right town

I'm Kellen Vinco, a Long Island REALTOR® with Douglas Elliman in Smithtown. I've been licensed since 2001, and I bring 25+ years of property management experience to every showing. That's why I look at gutters, heating systems, and drainage before I look at paint colors. I work in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

If a fall festival brings you to one of my towns, look around while you're there. Then see the Huntington, Smithtown, and Kings Park pages, browse homes for sale, read more about me, or book a free consultation. Call or text me at 516-263-4569.

Kellen Vinco

Licensed Real Estate Salesperson · Douglas Elliman

Kellen helps Long Island buyers and sellers in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with 25+ years of property management experience behind every home she walks through.

About KellenFree consultation516-263-4569

This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax, mortgage, or financial advice. Market conditions change, so confirm details for a specific property. Equal Housing Opportunity.