Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Charlottesville sets no trick-or-treat hours; UVA's free Rotumpkin lights up the Rotunda from 7 to 11 p.m. that night.

Last checked Oct. 31, 2026. This page is updated each year. Facts come from the City of Charlottesville’s Monster Mash event listing, its leaf collection page and the Charlottesville Police Department’s contact page, and UVA Arts’ Rotumpkin listing.

Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31, and the City of Charlottesville does not set official trick-or-treat hours. As of Oct. 31 the city had announced none for 2026, so neighborhood trick-or-treating is up to families. The city’s own Monster Mash and Downtown Mall trick-or-treat were held a week early, on Oct. 24. On Halloween night itself, UVA’s free Great Rotumpkin turns the Rotunda into a projection show from 7 to 11 p.m.

Updated Oct. 31: the Monster Mash has passed; the Rotumpkin on Halloween night is added.

Who to call

  • Emergency: 911
  • Police non-emergency: Charlottesville Police Department, 434-970-3280
  • Monster Mash questions: Charlottesville Parks and Recreation, 434-970-3260

Past: Monster Mash and the Downtown Mall, Oct. 24

This event has passed for 2026. The Monster Mash, which used to be called Downtown Safe Halloween, is run by Charlottesville Parks and Recreation and sponsored by BAMA Works. It is free. The city listed:

  • crafts and pumpkin decorating
  • a magic show by Freckles ‘n Friends
  • face painting and balloon twisting
  • dance performances by Brushwood’s School of Dance and Character Connections, with characters from “Wicked”
  • a costume contest and a Spooky Storytime from the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library (JMRL)
  • a DJ, plus stands from the Fire Department, EMS, the Police Department, Bike Cville, the Discovery Museum and other community partners

At 4 p.m. the party moved onto the brick Downtown Mall, where children trick-or-treated until 4:30. For parking garages near the Mall, see our getting around guide.

Halloween night, Saturday, Oct. 31

The Great Rotumpkin. UVA Arts’ yearly Halloween projection show covers the Rotunda, 1826 University Ave., with animated ghosts, skeletons and pumpkins by Charlottesville multimedia artist Jeff Dobrow. It runs from 7 to 11 p.m. and is free, according to the UVA Arts listing.

Without city hours, the usual practice is simple: houses with a porch light on are taking trick-or-treaters. A few things are particular to Charlottesville this year:

  • Leaf piles are in the street. Curbside leaf collection began Oct. 26, and residents rake loose leaves to the street edge before their zone’s pickup week. Piles can hide curbs and holes, and the city asks drivers not to park on them because they are a fire hazard. Keep candles and jack-o’-lanterns away from them. See the leaf schedule.
  • No fireworks or sparklers. All fireworks are illegal in the city.
  • Daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, the night after Halloween.
  • The City Market is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Halloween morning at 100 E. Water St.
  • UVA football is away at Wake Forest on Halloween, so there is no home-game traffic in town.

Trunk-or-treats and other events

Churches, schools and neighborhood groups often hold trunk-or-treats, but they announce them themselves and we list only those we can confirm with the organizer. Know of one? Send it to us with the date, time, place and a link, and we will add it.

Safety

  • Walk on sidewalks where there are some, cross at corners and carry a light or wear something reflective.
  • Check candy before children eat it, and throw out anything unwrapped.
  • Drivers: go slowly in neighborhoods from late afternoon on, and watch for children between parked cars.
  • To report a suspicious situation, call the police non-emergency line at 434-970-3280; in an emergency, call 911.

What this means for you

  • The city’s Monster Mash and Downtown Mall trick-or-treat were Oct. 24 and have passed.
  • On Halloween night, the Rotumpkin show runs at the Rotunda from 7 to 11 p.m.
  • On Oct. 31, trick-or-treat when your neighborhood does; the city has set no window.
  • Clocks fall back an hour early Sunday, Nov. 1.

Related guides: things to do this month, fall festivals and pumpkin patches and parks and trails.

Frequently asked questions

What are the trick-or-treat hours in Charlottesville for 2026?

The City of Charlottesville does not set official trick-or-treat hours, and as of Oct. 31 it had announced none for Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31. Neighborhood trick-or-treating is up to families.

Is there trick-or-treating on the Downtown Mall?

It happened a week early in 2026. After the city’s free Monster Mash at Ting Pavilion on Saturday, Oct. 24, children trick-or-treated along the Downtown Mall from 4 to 4:30 p.m. There is no Mall trick-or-treat on Oct. 31.

What is the Charlottesville Monster Mash?

A free, family Halloween party run by Charlottesville Parks and Recreation, formerly called Downtown Safe Halloween, with crafts, pumpkin decorating, a magic show, face painting, a costume contest and a library storytime.

Are fireworks or sparklers allowed on Halloween in Charlottesville?

No. The Charlottesville Fire Department says all fireworks, sparklers included, are illegal inside city limits at any time of year.