Trunk or Treat Participant Guidelines
Registration Deadline: October 9, 2026 (or until spaces are full)
Join us for a fun afternoon of candy, creativity, and community!
Merrillville Parks & Recreation invites businesses, organizations, schools, churches, clubs, families and community groups to participate in our Annual Trunk or Treat.
Participation is FREE, but pre-registration is required.
This event is a wonderful opportunity to giveback and engage with residents, showcase your organization or business, and share information about the resources and services you provide. We encourage you to bring brochures, flyers, promotional items, or other informational materials to distribute alongside candy and treats.
Decorating your vehicle is mandatory. All decorations must be family-friendly and appropriate for all ages. Set up details: Lot size is 10x10. All participants will set up between the hours of 2pm-5pm and must be fully decorated and ready to go. Vehicles may not leave until the event is over.
Participants are encouraged to dress in costume. That’s what it’s all about!!!!
We will also hold a costume contest for our visitors.
The event also features a Community Choice Best Trunk Contest in which children will vote for their favorite trunk!
To help ensure every child receives treats, we recommend bringing approximately 800–1,000 pieces of individually wrapped candy. Candy and treats must be commercially packaged and individually wrapped.
We kindly ask that you hand out informational materials rather than holding lengthy conversations at your vehicle. With hundreds of families expected to attend, this will help keep lines moving, reduce wait times and allow every child the opportunity to visit each decorated trunk.
Sensory-Friendly Hour
Merrillville Parks & Recreation is committed to creating an inclusive Halloween experience for all families.
The first hour of the event (5:30 PM – 6:30 PM) will serve as our Sensory-Friendly Hour, providing a calmer environment for children and adults with sensory sensitivities, autism, PTSD, anxiety, and other hidden disabilities. Beginning at 6:30 PM, participants may fully activate Halloween effects, if any.
During this hour, we ask all trunk participants to help create a welcoming atmosphere by:
- Avoiding flashing or strobe lights.
- Refraining from jump scares, loud sound effects, or frightening interactions.
- Offering patience and allowing guests to interact at their own pace.
- Providing a non-candy option when possible, such as stickers, fidget toys, glow bracelets, pencils, or other small sensory-friendly items.
Additional event information, parking instructions, and your assigned vehicle location will be emailed before the event.
