We
had a near-record 195 trick-or-treaters on Duncan Street in Halifax on Oct. 31, 2025, our second highest in 29 years of counting costumes, second only to 215 back in 1996! This was despite a day of heavy rain that ended just hours before the trick-or-treaters began to call.
Past
Totals - 2024: 165; 2023: 139; 2022: 145; 2021:127; 2020: 151; 2019: 143;
2018: 138; 2017: 114; 2016: 81;2015: 101; 2014: 97; 2013: 80; 2012: 50! 2011:
80; 2010: 88; 2009: 99; 2008:
103; 2007: 125; 2006: 168; 2005: 187: 2004:
184; 2003: 187; 2002: 193; 2001: 152; 2000: 171; 1999-175; 1998-160; 1996-215
Average: 139
The
most popular costumes, by far, were ninjas, a mix of homemade, customized and store-bought costumes. We are puzzled where this trend comes from as there haven't been any big shows or games starring ninjas that we know about. Second place went to kids with no apparent costume, the highest we have ever recorded; most of whom shrugged bashfully. I suspect these were kids who decided to go at the last minute with minimal costumes when the rain let up. Ghouls masks of various kinds were the third most popular costumes. Last year witches ruled, but there were far fewer this time and they were more specialized.
1) Audrey, the monster plant from Little Shop of Horrors, beautifully made homemade costume with multiple heads and scary teeth.
2) Rapunzel, which included her tower, a large and imaginative homemade costume.
3) Vincent Van Gogh, a carefully made costume with her friend dressed as a beautiful Van Gogh style sunflower.
4) A cute lobster costume worn by a very young child who rode in a wagon depicting a lobster boat, complete with its DFO number.
5) A beautifully made Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz with ruby slippers and her own real Toto dog.
Some trends to note:
1) Quite a few Toronto Blue Jay players and one baseball reporter, one of the few times that a major news story influenced Halloween costumes in our neighbourhood.
2) Lots of Anime, Manga and video game characters familiar to kids, but not to adults.
3)
Some, but not-too-many super heroes, mostly Spidermen of various sorts
and a delightful superhero mashup by one boy who went as Superman, Batman and a ninja, all combined into one costume!
4) Some impressive ensemble pieces: Van Gogh; the Strawberry Shortcake girls and especially a dramatic duo of a pizza delivery guy player accompanied by a friend who played an armed robber who threatened to stab her!
5) A majority of parents doing chaperone duties had costumes, some very impressive.
First: 5:42 pm Last: 8:58 pm Peak: 7pm
