US towns where trick-or-treating is restricted by age as some regions enforce surprising rules
Many US towns have introduced rules governing who can take part in trick-or-treating this weekend.
While Halloween is often viewed as a holiday for people of all ages to get involved with, certain towns across the country have placed limits on older children, with age restrictions potentially putting a stop to their annual sugar-fuelled festivities.
And while on Saturday night (October 31), families may have a little more flexibility than they would on a school night, trick-or-treating hours aren’t the same everywhere.
Halloween festivities don't follow the same timetable across the board, with some areas designating specific hours, while others allow residents to decide when the fun begins. In certain towns, the celebrations don't even take place on October 31.
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In Illinois, Urbana and Champaign have set the official window between 5pm and 7pm on Saturday. Meanwhile, residents in Middleton, Wisconsin, will have an extra hour to enjoy the festivities, with door-to-door celebrations running from 5pm until 8pm.
Over in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the celebrations will begin slightly later, with trick-or-treaters permitted out between 5:30pm and 7:30pm.
Dublin, Ohio, opted to hold its events two days earlier, on Thursday (October 29), with children able to collect sweets between 6pm and 8pm.
Guidelines are different Hazard, Kentucky, where 'the practice of trick-or-treating on Halloween night is limited to children below the age of 16'.
And in Munfordville, Kentucky, 'the observance of trick-or-treating on Halloween is restricted to persons 12 years of age or younger'.
In Newport News, Virginia, adults accompanying children under 13 while trick-or-treating are not allowed to wear masks. The town also restricts trick-or-treating to children aged 12 and under.
Charleston, South Carolina, has a particularly unusual ordinance, which prohibits people over 16 from wearing masks or other items that conceal their faces. And children aged 16 and under are exempt until 10pm on Halloween night.
Over in Woodbridge, New Jersey, children hoping to door knock face a 7pm curfew on October 30 and 31 unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult.
Experts have also sounded the alarm over popular Halloween costumes expected to be worn by thousands of children this weekend, warning that they could pose a greater risk than many parents realise.
Daniel Thomas, a Missouri personal injury attorney, warned that costumes must be visible and safe.
"Sensory acuity may be decreased by masks that can restrict peripheral vision and hearing," he says.
Parents should also be aware of fire hazards, the expert warns. Candles are rife during spooky season, inside and outside of the pumpkins.
Instead, battery-powered candles or glow sticks are a safer alternative.
Mia Williams