What Time Does Trick-Or-Treating Start? When To Begin For Halloween 2017

On Oct. 31, children across the country will look to score tons of candy both on and around the official Halloween holiday. But what time does trick-or-treating actually start? It may seem like a silly question, but the exact start time may vary based on locale.

Trick-or-treating usually starts when the sun goes down. According to time registry Date And Time, the sun will most likely set on Tuesday at 5:53 p.m. EDT in New York City. Depending on the location, complete darkness will occur by 6:21 p.m.

According to the website TrickorTreatTimes.com, many cities will "officially" start trick-or-treating between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. This leaves enough time for children to arrive home from school and parents to come in from work and start preparation.

The ideal times for most families to trick or treat is 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., according to parenting guide How to Adult. This is the stretch when people are usually home from work and ready to start festivities, according to the site. A 6:30 p.m. trick-or-treat start time should allow children enough time to eat dinner and put on costumes.

The event usually ends around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. in some communities, which could pose issues since it is a school night. Since children have to wake up early for school the next morning, the best time to end a trick-or-treating excursion is between 8:30 and 9 p.m. An earlier curfew will allow enough time to begin preparations for the next day.

Another factor to consider while trick-or-treating is the weather. Trick-or-treaters should enjoy mild, dry weather during the night in most areas, according to the Weather Channel. The official forecast for Oct. 31, released by the National Weather Service Wednesday, predicted a high of 51 degrees Tuesday in New York City with a 20 percent chance of rain. Overnight lows could dip into the upper 40s.

"In the West, an area of high pressure over the northern Pacific Ocean will block any Pacific storm systems from reaching California, Oregon or Washington," Chris Dolce of The Weather Channel reported. "All of this means that the large-scale weather pattern from coast-to-coast will be largely absent of significant precipitation."