Trunk or TreatEvents in Memphis 2026
Celebrate Halloween 2026 with the best Trunk or Treat events in Memphis. Discover family-friendly Halloween celebrations featuring decorated cars, candy giveaways, costume contests, games, community gatherings, and safe trick-or-treat experiences for children. Whether you're planning a fun family outing or looking for Halloween events near you, explore the top Trunk or Treat events happening across Memphis.
Listings updated
Trunk or treat decorations, candy and costume ideas
Everything to decorate your trunk, fill the candy bowl and dress the kids — from monster-mouth kits and string lights to bulk Halloween candy and costumes. Check delivery dates before you order.
Links go to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, AllEvents earns from qualifying purchases.
- Decorate
Trunk decoration kitMonster mouth, teeth and googly eyesShop on Amazon - Decorate
Orange string lightsBattery-powered, no outlet neededShop on Amazon - Decorate
Stretchy cobwebsSpiders included, for every cornerShop on Amazon - Decorate
Light-up jack-o'-lanternsLED, safe around kidsShop on Amazon - Treat
Bulk candy variety packIndividually wrapped, enough for a lineShop on Amazon - Treat
Glow-stick braceletsA candy-free treat that lights them upShop on Amazon - Treat
Teal pumpkin bucketNon-food treats for kids with allergiesShop on Amazon - Kids
Jack-o'-lantern bucketThe classic, for collectingShop on Amazon - Kids
Dinosaur costumePlush and hooded, warm for an evening outShop on Amazon - Host
Cauldron candy bowlFor the front edge of the trunkShop on Amazon - Kids
Witch hatSoft and floppy, for little headsShop on Amazon
Family-friendly things to do in Memphis this Halloween
12 of the best places to eat, explore and enjoy fall in Memphis, Tennessee, before and after trunk or treat — from restaurants and sweet shops to museums, parks and pumpkin patches.
- No. 01Eat
Charlie Vergos' Rendezvous
Downtown · 52 S Second St
- Best for
- Hungry families
Charlie Vergos opened it in 1948 in a downtown alley, after turning a coal chute into a barbecue pit.
The barbecue shrimp skillet must be ordered a full day ahead, so ring in advance if you want it.
Open in Maps - No. 02Eat
Arcade Restaurant
South Main · 540 S Main St
- Best for
- The whole carful
Memphis' oldest café, opened in 1919 by Greek immigrant Speros Zepatos and still family run, with breakfast all day.
Try the Elvis: a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich, just as Elvis used to order it.
Open in Maps - No. 03Treats
Dinstuhl's Fine Candy
Memphis · 5280 Pleasant View Rd
- Best for
- Anyone with a sweet tooth
Chocolates handmade in small batches, best known for its cashew crunch and award-winning fudge.
Look out for the Halloween chocolates and the caramel apples, both perfect for a Halloween weekend.
Open in Maps - No. 04Fall fun
Jones Orchard
Millington · 7170 Hwy 51 N
- Best for
- All ages
A family orchard north of Memphis since 1940, with a pumpkin patch, a huge corn maze and hayrides in the fall.
It also runs haunts for thrill-seekers. With little ones, stick to the patch and the maze.
Open in Maps - No. 05Fall fun
Mid-South Maze at Agricenter
Memphis · 7777 Walnut Grove Rd
- Best for
- The whole carful
The world's largest urban farm, 1,000 acres in the city, turns a cornfield into the Mid-South Maze, with hayrides and a jumping pillow.
It's seasonal, so check dates first. Avoid the haunted sessions with little ones, as those get properly scary.
Open in Maps - No. 06Explore
Memphis Zoo
Midtown · Overton Park
- Best for
- All ages
In Overton Park since 1906, with over 3,500 animals, plus grizzlies, elk and wolves in Teton Trek.
The zoo and the Children's Museum are both in Midtown, so do one in the morning and one after lunch.
Open in Maps - No. 07Explore
Pink Palace Museum
Memphis · Pink Palace Mansion
- Best for
- Curious kids
The pink marble mansion of Piggly Wiggly's founder, now with a replica store, a miniature circus and a planetarium.
A show in the Sharpe Planetarium makes a good sit-down break. Check what's showing first.
Open in Maps - No. 08Explore
Children's Museum of Memphis
Midtown · 2525 Central Ave
- Best for
- Under-8s
Over 20 hands-on exhibits in a former armoury, plus the restored Memphis Grand Carousel and a splash pad.
Under-eights get the most out of it. Save a carousel ride for just before you leave.
Open in Maps - No. 09Explore
The Peabody Ducks
Downtown · 149 Union Ave
- Best for
- All ages
Since the 1930s, mallards have lived at this 1925 hotel and marched along a red carpet to the lobby fountain.
The march draws a crowd, so arrive early and let the kids stand near the red carpet.
Open in Maps - No. 10Outdoors
Shelby Farms Park
Memphis
- Best for
- The whole carful
At 4,500 acres, one of the largest urban parks in the US, with lakes, trails and a herd of about 45 bison.
Look out for the bison pasture, and bring bikes for the Greenline trail.
Open in Maps - No. 11Outdoors
Memphis Botanic Garden
Audubon Park · 750 Cherry Rd
- Best for
- Little explorers
96 acres with 23 specialty gardens, including a Japanese garden and a children's garden called My Big Backyard.
Head to My Big Backyard first, since it's built for young explorers.
Open in Maps - No. 12Outdoors
Tom Lee Park
Downtown riverfront
- Best for
- Restless kids
Thirty acres on the Mississippi, redesigned in 2023 with sculptural playgrounds, named after a riverworker who saved 32 people.
Look across the river to Arkansas, then let the kids loose on the playgrounds.
Open in Maps
Costume corner
What kids are wearing this year, and how to dress for an evening in a car park.
What kids are wearing
- No. 1
SuperheroSpider-Man topped the list for kids: 2.3 million of them. 
PrincessA classic that never leaves the top five.
WitchThe hat does most of the work. Add a broom for the photos.
GhostOne sheet, two eye holes, done in ten minutes.- New
Pop-star demon hunterThis year's breakout, thanks to KPop Demon Hunters. - DinosaurPlush and hooded: the warmest costume in the car park.
Costume rankings: National Retail Federation, 2025 Halloween survey.
Dress for a car park in late October
- Layer underneathMost start around dusk, and it cools fast. A long-sleeve top and leggings under the costume beat a coat over it.
- Wear real shoesA big car park is a lot of walking. Trainers under a long skirt or a dinosaur tail will not show.
- Glow, so drivers see youCars still move around the edges. A glow-stick bracelet or a strip of reflective tape on the bucket costs nothing.
- Face paint over masksPaint lets them see the step down from the curb, and eat the candy on the spot. Masks usually come off by the third car.
Why trick or treat moved into the car park
Since the 1990s
Churches started it. Parents wanted a Halloween with less gore, fewer strangers and no crossing busy roads in the dark, so congregations parked in a circle, opened their boots and handed out candy from the back. In car-dependent suburbs it simply worked better than a street of houses far apart — and a flat car park suits children with allergies, wheelchairs and strollers too.
- Early 1990sThe first trunk or treats appear at church fall festivals, as a gentler alternative to door-to-door.
- 1994A Baptist congregation in Alabama holds one — the earliest specific year on record.
- Early 2000sChurches across the South add it to their calendars, then malls and schools follow.
- TodayCar parks across suburbia fill up, and decorating the trunk has become a contest of its own.
Trunk or treat in Memphis: the basics
What is a trunk or treat?
A Halloween event where children go from car to car instead of door to door. Families park in one place — usually a church, school or community car park — open their boots, decorate them, and hand out candy from the back. It began at American churches in the 1990s as a safer, more contained alternative to trick-or-treating, and most now add a costume parade, games or a best-decorated-trunk contest.
What should kids bring to a trunk or treat?
Their costume, a treat bucket or bag, and something that glows — a glow stick or a small torch — because most events run after dark. Comfortable shoes help: a big car park is a lot of walking.
How do you decorate a trunk for trunk or treat?
Pick a theme and fill the open boot with it. Monster mouths, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, outer space and under the sea are the favourites. Battery string lights matter most, since a car park has no sockets; then a backdrop, cobwebs or props, and a bowl of candy at the front edge.
Are trunk or treats safe for kids with food allergies?
Many are. Look for a teal pumpkin: it is the sign of a trunk handing out non-food treats such as glow sticks, stickers and small toys, part of the Teal Pumpkin Project for children with food allergies.