Halloween in Statesboro falls on Saturday, October 31, 2026, with trick-or-treating observed from 6 to 8 p.m. The simplest way to keep it safe: make costumes easy to see, walk with young kids, check every piece of candy at home before anyone eats it, and keep medicines, gummies, and anything that only looks like candy up and out of reach.

That’s the short version. The longer version is that Halloween in Bulloch County isn’t really one night anymore. Between campus events, a Brooklet fall festival, the county’s big trick-or-treat at Arena Boulevard, and the Saturday night itself, a lot of families will have costumes on three or four times before November. I love that. It also means more candy in the house, more evenings walking near traffic, and more chances for a toddler to find something on the counter that isn’t candy at all.

Here’s what’s on the calendar and the pharmacist side of making it a good one.

Halloween 2026 events in Statesboro and Brooklet

As of October 2026, these are the local happenings I could confirm from published sources. Details can change, so check with each organizer before you go.

• Trick-or-Treat on Greek Street — Wednesday, October 21, 5:30–7:30 p.m. Georgia Southern’s fraternity and sorority community hands out candy along Olympic Boulevard on the Statesboro campus, and the street is closed to traffic during the event, per Grice Connect (Oct. 10, 2026).
• Watersville Station Fall Festival — Sunday, October 25, 1–6 p.m. Rescheduled from October 10 because of weather. Hayrides, a “Lil’ Haunted House” meant for younger kids, live music, food vendors, and crafts at 1888 Bell Road in Brooklet, per WTOC (updated Oct. 9, 2026).
• Haunted Forest of Statesboro — October 26–31. The long-running haunted trail returns to the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fairgrounds on Highway 67, 8–11 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 p.m.–midnight Friday and Saturday. It’s built to scare teens and adults, and it raises money for Freedom Through Recovery, per the organizer’s 2026 ticket page.
• Bulloch County Recreation & Parks Trick or Treat — Thursday, October 29, 5–7:30 p.m. The county’s annual free trick-or-treat event for children at 44 Arena Blvd in Statesboro. Questions go to (912) 764-5637, ext. 1, per Bulloch County Recreation and Parks.
• Halloween night — Saturday, October 31, 6–8 p.m. Halloween will be observed in Statesboro during those hours, and public safety officials recommend organized events as the safest options, per Grice Connect (Sept. 28, 2026).
• Malloween — Saturday, October 31, starting at 6 p.m. Trick-or-treating at participating stores inside Statesboro Mall, 325 Northside Drive East, while supplies last, per Statesboro Mall.

If you live in Brooklet or elsewhere in the county, check with your city or community for its own 2026 trick-or-treat hours. I didn’t find those posted yet.

Costumes: easy to see, easy to walk in

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Halloween safety tips (HealthyChildren.org, updated Sept. 29, 2026) start with the costume, and for good reason:

• Bright and reflective. Add reflective tape or glow elements to costumes and treat bags, and send a flashlight with anyone out after dark.
• Good fit. Costumes short enough not to trip on, shoes that fit, and hats that don’t slide over the eyes.
• Flame resistant. Look for that on the label, including wigs and accessories.
• Makeup over masks. Non-toxic makeup lets kids see better. Test it on a small patch of skin ahead of time so a reaction doesn’t show up on Halloween night.

Skip the costume contact lenses

This one comes up every year. Cat-eye, vampire, and colored lenses sold at costume shops, flea markets, beauty supply stores, or random websites can do real harm. The FDA is clear that all contact lenses, including decorative ones, must be prescribed by a doctor. Lenses that don’t fit can scratch the eye and lead to infection, decreased vision, or even blindness. If eyes turn red, painful, or start to discharge, take the lenses out and see an eye doctor right away. If the look matters that much, start with an eye exam and a prescription.

Street smarts for Halloween night

Neighborhoods get busy between 6 and 8, and not every street has a sidewalk. The AAP notes that child pedestrian injuries are more likely on Halloween than on any other night of the year. A few habits help:

• Walk with young children. Older kids should go in a group with a planned route and a time to be home.
• Cross at corners or crosswalks as a group, not between parked cars or out of driveways.
• Use the sidewalk. Where there isn’t one, walk at the far edge of the road facing traffic.
• Put the phones away while walking, and only visit homes with the porch light on.

For drivers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Halloween tips come down to slowing down, scanning for kids in unexpected places, and never driving after drinking. NHTSA reports that in 2023, nearly half of all crash fatalities on Halloween night were alcohol-related. With Halloween on a Saturday this year, plenty of adults will be at parties too. Line up a sober driver before the first drink.

The candy check: wait until you get home

The FDA’s Halloween Food Safety Tips for Parents are the same ones I’d give at the counter:

• Feed them first. A light meal or snack before heading out makes it easier to wait on the candy.
• No snacking on the route. Sort everything at home under good light.
• Commercially wrapped only. Toss anything unwrapped, homemade (unless you know the family), discolored, or with pinholes or torn wrappers.
• Watch for choking hazards. For little ones, pull out gum, peanuts, hard candy, and small toys. The AAP adds that babies and toddlers shouldn’t have gummy candy, caramel apples, popcorn, or anything with whole nuts either.

Know what doesn’t belong in the bag

Part of the sort is spotting things that look like candy but aren’t. The FDA has warned about THC edibles packaged to look like popular candy, cereal, and snack brands. In children, accidental ingestion has been linked to hallucinations, vomiting, and a fast heart rate, and many cases needed medical care. Look closely at any brand that seems a little off. Odd spelling, unfamiliar logos, or the word “THC” or “cannabis” anywhere on the wrapper means it goes in the trash, not in the pile.

If you think a child ate something like that, the FDA says to call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Don’t wait for symptoms. Call 911 for serious symptoms.

Food allergies and the Teal Pumpkin Project

For kids with food allergies, Halloween can mean more “no, thank you” than fun. The Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) Teal Pumpkin Project makes an easy fix. Put out a bowl of non-food treats, keep it separate from the candy, and set a teal pumpkin or FARE’s free printable sign by the door. You can also add your address to the Teal Pumpkin map so families can plan a route. Glow sticks, stickers, bubbles, spider rings, and pencils all work. Glow sticks double as visibility gear, which I like.

If your child has a food allergy:

• Read every label before anything gets eaten, and skip home-baked treats, as the FDA advises.
• Remember that candy without the allergen can still be a risk if it’s made in a facility that uses it, the AAP notes.
• Carry any emergency medicine your child’s doctor prescribed, like an epinephrine auto-injector or nasal spray, and make sure every adult in the group knows how and when to use it.

This is a good week to look at the expiration date on that epinephrine and make sure there’s one at home and one going out the door. If you need a refill before the weekend, our online refills make it quick, and we offer free prescription delivery too.

Medicine can look like candy, too

When the house fills up with candy, it’s a good time to look at where the medicine is. The CDC’s Up and Away campaign estimates about 100 young children are brought to the emergency room each day after getting into medicines left within reach, and many medicines and supplements, especially gummies, are hard for kids to tell apart from candy.

Melatonin is a big one. A CDC report published March 7, 2024 estimated about 11,000 emergency department visits for unsupervised melatonin ingestion by children 5 and under from 2019 through 2022, and gummies were the most commonly documented form.

What I’d do this month:

• Keep medicines, vitamins, and gummy supplements high and out of sight, not on the kitchen counter beside the candy bowl.
• Relock child-resistant caps every time.
• Never call medicine “candy,” even with a picky kid.
• Ask visiting grandparents and party guests to keep purses and bags with medicines up and away.

And if cleaning out the cabinet turns up old or expired medicines, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, October 24. Our Take Back Day guide explains how to find a collection site and what to do if you can’t make it.

Hosting a Halloween party?

From the same FDA guidance:

• Serve pasteurized cider and juice. Unpasteurized versions can carry bacteria like Salmonella.
• No tasting raw cookie dough or cake batter made with raw eggs or flour.
• Keep perishable food cold until serving, and don’t leave it out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
• Rinse apples under cool running water before bobbing, or try a no-mouth version of the game.

The Kiwanis fair wraps up October 24. If you’re headed there first, our Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair tips cover fair food and the petting zoo.

A quick Halloween checklist for Bulloch County families

1. Pick your events. Greek Street (Oct. 21), Watersville Station (Oct. 25), the county trick-or-treat (Oct. 29), or Halloween night 6–8 p.m. (Oct. 31).
2. Light them up. Reflective tape, glow sticks, and a flashlight.
3. No costume contacts without an eye exam and a prescription.
4. Dinner before candy. Sort everything at home before anyone eats.
5. Toss the suspicious stuff. Unwrapped, tampered, or anything that might be a THC look-alike.
6. Allergy plan. Labels checked, epinephrine in the bag if prescribed, and a teal bowl at your door.
7. Meds up and away. Especially gummies and melatonin, and especially with company coming over.
8. Poison Control saved in your phone: 1-800-222-1222.

For more local tips through the year, visit our Health News page.

Frequently asked questions

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

As of October 2026, Halloween will be observed in Statesboro on Saturday, October 31, from 6 to 8 p.m., according to Grice Connect. Public safety officials recommend organized community events as the safest option.

When is the Bulloch County Recreation and Parks Trick or Treat in 2026?

Thursday, October 29, 2026, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at 44 Arena Blvd in Statesboro. It’s free for children. Call (912) 764-5637, ext. 1, with questions.

How should parents check Halloween candy?

The FDA recommends waiting until kids are home, then keeping only commercially wrapped treats and throwing away anything unwrapped, discolored, or with pinholes or torn wrappers. For young children, remove choking hazards like gum, peanuts, hard candy, and small toys.

What should I do if my child eats a THC edible that looks like candy?

Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 right away, even before symptoms start, as the FDA advises. Call 911 if symptoms are serious.

Are colored or costume contact lenses safe for Halloween?

Only with a prescription. The FDA says all contact lenses, including decorative ones, must be prescribed by a doctor. Lenses from costume shops, flea markets, or beauty supply stores can scratch the eye and cause infection or vision loss.

What is the Teal Pumpkin Project?

It’s a FARE campaign that encourages households to offer non-food treats, like glow sticks or stickers, in a separate bowl and display a teal pumpkin, so children with food allergies can trick-or-treat safely.

Ready for a pharmacy that feels like home?

We’ve been part of Bulloch County since 1984, and we still answer the phone, know our patients by name, and deliver prescriptions for free. If that sounds like the kind of pharmacy you want, transfer your prescriptions to Walker Pharmacy and we’ll handle the rest. You can learn more about our family and our team, or stop by:

• Walker Pharmacy & Boutique — 1198 Merchants Way, Statesboro · (912) 681-3784
• Walker Pharmacy & Gifts — 2425 Northside Dr West, Statesboro · (912) 764-6175
• Brooklet Drug — 102 Parker Ave S, Brooklet · (912) 842-9886

Sources

• Grice Connect, “Save the Date: Trick-or-Treat on Greek Street set for Oct. 21,” Oct. 10, 2026.
• Grice Connect, “Spooky Season is near! Add your fall and Halloween events to the GC Calendar,” Sept. 28, 2026.
• WTOC, “2nd annual Watersville Station Fall Festival returns to Brooklet this October,” Sept. 7, 2026, updated Oct. 9, 2026.
• Bulloch County Recreation and Parks, “Trick or Treat,” 2026 event page, accessed Oct. 16, 2026.
• Freedom Through Recovery, “Haunted Forest of Statesboro 2026,” Eventbrite, accessed Oct. 16, 2026.
• Statesboro Mall, “Malloween,” Oct. 31, 2026 event page, accessed Oct. 16, 2026.
• American Academy of Pediatrics, HealthyChildren.org, “Halloween Fun & Safety Tips for Kids of All Ages,” updated Sept. 29, 2026.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Halloween Food Safety Tips for Parents,” accessed Oct. 16, 2026.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Decorative Contact Lenses for Halloween and More,” accessed Oct. 16, 2026.
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “FDA Warns Consumers About the Accidental Ingestion by Children of Food Products Containing THC,” June 16, 2022 (updated).
• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Halloween Safety Tips,” accessed Oct. 16, 2026.
• Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), “Teal Pumpkin Project,” accessed Oct. 16, 2026.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Up and Away Campaign Resources,” July 18, 2025.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MMWR, “Notes from the Field: Emergency Department Visits for Unsupervised Pediatric Melatonin Ingestion — United States, 2019–2022,” March 7, 2024.

Educational information only, not personal medical advice. Talk with your pharmacist or doctor about your child’s specific medicines, allergies, and health needs. In an emergency, call 911. For a possible poisoning, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.

Jordan Walker, PharmD | Owner, Walker Pharmacy