A Halloween Hidden Gem – Take Your Kids Trick-Or-Treating At The University Of Portland

Trick-or-Treating is one of those rare traditions that still feels pure. You don’t need a reservation or a ticket or a perfect Instagram moment. You need a costume, a bucket, and the willingness to walk a few blocks in the dark.

There’s something wonderful about watching our kids transform into superheroes or dinosaurs, then charge down the sidewalk with feral, unfiltered excitement. We get to trail behind, chatting with neighbors we may only see once a year, trading the usual small talk for a shared laugh over whose porch has the best decorations this year. Even the teenagers who claim they’re “too old” somehow still show up, half-embarrassed and fully loaded with candy. Every Halloween, my wife and I are the house on the block that hands out full-sized candy bars. It’s a reputation we can’t shake, but it is worth it to see the excitement each year from the trick-or-treaters.

Halloween is one of those holidays where a neighborhood feels more like a verb: Front doors swinging open, porch lights glowing, and the only currency that matters that evening is a polite “trick or treat” and a handful of chocolate. It’s simple, communal, and requires no overthinking. 

Unfortunately, trick-or-treating has been replaced over the years with a monotone trunk-or-treat. I’m not necessarily against it, but it’s hard to compare to the magic of wandering through a neighborhood while the kids debate which house is handing out beef jerky and which one has gummy worms. But even though I consider myself more of a traditionalist when it comes to trick-or-treating, I make exceptions I find well worth it. One outlier is taking the kids to the University of Portland for their annual Halloween trick-or-treating event. 

Hosted on campus in the dorm halls this Halloween from 5:00pm to 6:30pm, this free event is designed for children in the 6^th grade and younger. Parents must accompany their children, and a Photo ID is required for check-in. This trick-or-treating event is a fun alternative to regular neighborhood trick-or-treating. Plus, you can totally take your kids to do this activity and still have time to go through the neighborhoods across the street from the university for more trick-or-treating. Participating dorms go all out with decorations and fun costumes, and they hand out candy, too. 

I took part in this longstanding event as a small child and have nothing but fond memories of it. Maybe you did this as a kid yourself and want your little ones to experience it too. Or maybe this is the first time you’ve heard of the University of Portland doing this. Either way, it is a ton of fun every year and well worth it. 

Trick-or-treating on a university campus is not only a great way to make fun memories, but also a wonderful way to introduce our kids to universities. I remember going there as a small child and being fascinated by college and what it could entail. 

Halloween is a great event that lets kids dress up in costumes and have fun with family and friends. Trick-or-treating at the University of Portland is a perfect way to get the whole not-so-spooky experience. 

After a fun night of trick-or-treating, the little ones dump their candy haul on the living room floor to begin their spooky audit. Chocolate in one pile, weird hard candies in another, the full-size bars claimed like treasure. You sit there half-laughing, half-amazed that such a simple night still works its quiet magic.

It’s the kind of evening that doesn’t demand much from you and somehow gives more than it takes. Those small, shared moments like the silly costumes, the neighborly waves, and the collective decision to be a little ridiculous together stick around longer than the candy ever will.

So when the calendar moves toward the end of October, don’t overthink it. Grab a jacket, get your plastic pumpkin bucket, and step outside. The night is short, the porch lights won’t stay on forever, and these are the nights that remind us why we still bother to show up for each other. And maybe start off trick-or-treating this year at the University of Portland. It’s truly amazing to see students come together to celebrate Halloween with our little ones. To me, the holidays are about community coming together and spending time with family. Taking your kids trick-or-treating at the University of Portland is an exciting way to accomplish both.