Independent Arts News Reporting ACP’s Annual Hometown Halloween Parade Turns 50
Reported on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.
Pictured Above: The Annual Hometown Halloween Parade returns on Friday, October 30, hosted by the Arts Council of Princeton. Photo Credit: Lali Chikobava
NEWSROOM POST: PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
This month, the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will celebrate its 50th Annual Hometown Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30
Princeton, NJ — This month, the Arts Council of Princeton (ACP) will celebrate its 50th Annual Hometown Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30, bringing generations of costumed characters and community spirit to the streets of downtown Princeton.
Halloween parades have been part of Princeton life for more than half a century. Archival records trace an annual Halloween parade organized through Princeton Township schools as far back as 1955, when students marched from Valley Road School to Witherspoon Street, Henry Street, Jefferson Road, and ultimately back to Valley Road School. A 1963 account in the Princeton Herald describes a UNICEF Halloween Parade along Nassau Street, led by the Princeton University Band.
The tradition continued to evolve over time, with the parade’s organizers moving between community organizations and sponsors. In 1976, the Arts Council of Princeton stepped in to take up the parade from the Recreation Department and the Chamber of Commerce. The Arts Council rallied an impressive cast of community partners, including local secondary schools, McCarter Theatre, Creative Theatre Unlimited, the Princeton Volunteer Fire Department, Princeton University, and youth groups from PDS, Stuart, Princeton High School and the Middle School.
Pictured Above: Flashback to Princeton’s 1988 Halloween Parade. Photo courtesy of the Historical Society of Princeton’s Princeton Packet collection. Photo Credit: Contributed.
According to a Town Topics account, that first Arts Council-led parade in 1976 estimated approximately 1,000 marchers gathered at the Princeton Public Library before making their way up Nassau Street down to Moore Street and on to High School. A “mystery leader” signaled the start, costumed children received candy, prizes were awarded, and a Halloween movie awaited them at the end of the route. Children were sent home with the potential of a “Goblin Call” to announce a mysterious grand prize, which they entered by providing a name and phone number in a box at the parade. In 1988, the celebration took on the name “Hometown Halloween Parade”, which the ACP has carried forth to this day.
“Fifty years later, what makes this parade special is still the same thing that made it special in 1976: our community,” says Adam Welch, Executive Director of the Arts Council of Princeton. “It’s generations of families, local organizations, businesses, and neighbors coming together to create something extraordinary. The costumes may change, but the creative spirit that brings us together remains the same.”
For the 50th Hometown Halloween Parade, the celebration begins at 4pm on Palmer Square Green, where trick-or-treaters of all ages will gather to show off their costumes and enjoy music by the Princeton University Band. The parade steps off promptly at 4:30pm and culminates in a festive Trunk-or-Treat, presented by the Princeton YMCA. Community members are invited to register their vehicles and decorate their trunks for the Princeton YMCA’s Trunk-or-Treat; the best-decorated trunks will receive prizes. The Arts Council is also collecting bagged candy to help stock the Trunk-or-Treat. Candy donations can be dropped off through October 28 at the Arts Council of Princeton, 102 Witherspoon Street, or the Princeton YMCA, 59 Paul Robeson Place.
The event is free and open to the public, with costumes encouraged for all. Whether you’re donning a spooky disguise, a playful get-up, or a handmade creation, the parade is an opportunity to showcase Princeton’s creative spirit.
Pictured Above: This photo, published in the October 28, 1976 Town Topics, shows paraders making final touches on their costumes. Photo Credit: Contributed
For more information and updates, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org.
The Hometown Halloween Parade is sponsored by Arbor Terrace, FishBird Music School of Princeton, McCaffreys Food Markets, and YogaSix Montgomery.
About the Arts Council of Princeton
The Arts Council of Princeton, a non-profit organization founded in 1967, fulfills its mission of building community through the arts by presenting a wide range of programs including public art projects, exhibitions, performances, free community cultural events, and studio-based classes and workshops. Arts Council of Princeton programs are designed to be high-quality, engaging, affordable and accessible for the diverse population in the greater Princeton region. To learn more, visit artscouncilofprinceton.org or follow @artscouncilofprinceton.
