Halloween 2026 – Haunt or Be Haunted

We hope you’ll don a costume and join us on Haunted Chenery October 31 from 5 to 9 for car-free trick-or-treating, but there are communal ways to extend the scream before then, too.

Playing with Knives

For the past 31 years, the Vella family of Sussex Street has carved thousands of pumpkins into pieces of art that flicker and glow from dusk to 11 p.m. on Halloween, drawing hundreds of fans up the hill to see the spectacle.

This year promises more of the same: 175 pumpkins, including 35 organic pumpkins carved over four days before Halloween night, 40 newly carved foam pumpkins and 100 foam pumpkins from prior years. New this year is an invitation for neighbors to dig in and join the fun in the days prior (Oct. 28, 29 and 30), says Carver-in-Chief Charlie Vella. Limited space in their garage means you must let him know in advance, but the family welcomes you with open knives. RSVP for which night works for you by emailing us at info@glenparkassociation.org, and we’ll put you in touch with him.

Get inspired by this video from 2025 and RSVP by calling Charlie (415-939-6175)—their garage workshop can handle only a few extra volunteers at a time. You’ll need to bring your own organic or foam pumpkin.

Spreading (Tooth) Decay

Not only do the generous neighbors on Chenery put up with a significant amount of inconvenience on Halloween, the put out a significant amount of candy. You can ease their burden (and delight dentists everywhere) by donating extra bags of candy.

Drop off donated candy at Critter Fritters, 670 Chenery Street. Critter-in-Chief Tony and his band of merry helpers (like GPA Recording Secretary Carolyn White as seen in the photo below from last year’s Halloween) will then deliver the donated candy to houses along Chenery.

Haunting the Street

Thanks to a generous grant from the Civic Joy Fund, the Glen Park Association is once again able to make this organically grown event a safer one by closing the street. CJF pays for the barricades, but we still need volunteers to work a shift helping vehicles that need to leave or return home.

It’s a great way to give back to Glen Park while watching a parade of joy and goofiness. Shifts run 90 minutes and begin at 4:30 p.m. The street closure starts at 5 and ends at 8:30 p.m., and the shifts end no later than 9 p.m.

Please reach out to us at info@glenparkassociation.org to lend a hand.