Trick-or-Treat Night Operations
Opening night is when everything you've built gets tested by hundreds of visitors. Having a plan for the night itself makes the difference between a smooth, fun evening and chaos.
Timing Your Night
Most trick-or-treating runs from around 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM, varying by neighborhood. Consider running in phases:
- 6:00-7:00 PM — "Lights on" mode for young children (see all ages guide). Fog and sound running, props visible but not triggering. Candy at the door.
- 7:00-9:00 PM — Full haunt mode. All effects active, scares running, ambient lighting only.
- 9:00 PM+ — Wind down or keep running for older visitors if your neighborhood stays active late
Crowd Management
If your haunt gets popular (and a good one will), you'll have lines. Some things that help:
- Define a clear queue area with fencing or rope
- Space groups out. Don't let a new group enter until the previous one has cleared the first scare zone. Fast groups catching slow groups ruins the experience for both.
- Have someone at the entrance managing flow (this can be a friend or family member in costume)
Candy Distribution
Options for handing out candy while running a haunt:
- A second person at the front door handles candy while you run the haunt
- A "candy station" at the exit of the haunt path — visitors walk through the experience, then get candy at the end
- Self-serve bowl with a sign (risky — the first group of teenagers will empty it)
Night-Of Checklist
- Test all effects at dusk. Fix anything that doesn't work.
- Check all electrical connections
- Load fog machines with fluid, check ice supply for chillers
- Start ambient audio
- Take photos before visitors arrive
- Check batteries in all battery-powered props
- Have a flashlight for emergencies
- Know how to kill all power quickly if needed