Westerville Trick-or-Treats on Thursday. Some Westerville Porches Wait Until Saturday.

"If you're not certain which jurisdiction your neighborhood is affiliated with review a map of Genoa Township neighborhoods."

That line sits on Genoa Township's Beggars' Night page, right below the township's annual date. A township wouldn't post that if everyone already knew where their street belonged. It matters this year because the Westerville area has two different trick-or-treat nights.

The City of Westerville holds Beggar's Night on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. Genoa Township holds its trick-or-treat on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. Some homes on both sides of that line have "Westerville, OH" in their mailing address.

Why Thursday, and Why Not Everyone

The Thursday date comes from a regional rule of thumb. The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission recommends trick-or-treat on Oct. 31 when Halloween falls Monday through Thursday. When it lands Friday, Saturday or Sunday, MORPC recommends the Thursday before. Halloween is on a Saturday in 2026, which puts the recommended date on Oct. 29. MORPC says plainly that each municipality picks its own date and time.

Westerville follows the recommendation. Its policy uses the Thursday before Halloween whenever the holiday falls on a weekend. Genoa Township doesn't adjust its date that way. Its page says "Each year, October 31st is designated as Trick-or-Treat." The township also says it won't usually move the date for bad weather, because forecasts change, it has no way to reach every resident, and a new date would collide with families' after-school activities.

Here is how the communities around Westerville line up for 2026, from NBC4's Central Ohio list (posted Sept. 28 and updated Oct. 1, 2026) and the townships' own calendars:

Orange Township's event calendar also lists Oct. 31. Delaware County's list runs entirely on Saturday. Westerville and the Franklin County communities to its south mostly go on Thursday.

A Westerville Address Doesn't Settle It

Your mailing address comes from the Postal Service. Your trick-or-treat night comes from whichever government your street belongs to, and in the Westerville area those two don't always match.

Genoa Township's own records show it. A 2021 Board of Zoning Appeals notice lists a house in the Sherbrook subdivision as "7225 Nightshade Drive, Westerville, OH 43082," and the case went before Genoa Township, not the City. An Orange Township zoning agenda lists 4594 McAlister Park Drive, Westerville, OH 43082, as an Orange Township case. To the southeast, a Plain Township zoning application lists a house at 8134 Bevelhymer Road, Westerville, OH 43081, and the county auditor record attached to it puts the parcel in the "PLAIN TOWNSHIP" tax district.

None of these records says how many homes share that setup. Each one shows a Westerville mailing address under township jurisdiction. If your street is near one of those lines, Genoa Township's neighborhood map marks township boundaries, neighborhoods and incorporated areas separately. Your property tax bill lists your tax district too.

The split matters in practice. Families who live in the City and have friends in a Genoa subdivision could, in principle, trick-or-treat on both nights. A household in Genoa Township that buys candy for Thursday because the return address says Westerville will have a quiet porch that night.

The City's Calendar Runs Out on Thursday

For households inside the City, the Halloween season is two weeks of events that ends on Oct. 29. It starts in Heritage Park.

Oct. 15 to 18: The Great Westerville Pumpkin Glow. The Pumpkin Glow runs Thursday through Sunday, 6:30 to 10 p.m., at Heritage Park, 60 N. Cleveland Ave. The City's event page says this year's trail will use all of Heritage Park and will include more artist-carved monster pumpkins than ever. It also says bumper cars and pumpkin riding are returning. The FAQ lists LED putt-putt as included with admission.

Tickets cost $15 for adults ages 14 to 64 and $12 for youth ages 3 to 13 and seniors 65 and up. They're nonrefundable and nontransferable. There are no cash sales at the gate. Pets aren't allowed except service animals, and weather can delay or cancel activities without making tickets refundable. Last entry is 9:30 p.m.

You can't park at Heritage Park itself. The City directs drivers to the Sports Complex, the Community Center, The Point at Otterbein, 310 W. Main St., and COTA's lot at 312 W. Main St. Orange flags mark the lots. COTA//Plus runs to the 310 W. Main St. lot for anyone who wants a shorter walk. The north side of River Trace Road has parking restrictions from 5 to 10 p.m. each event day.

One building at that same address will be dark. Everal Barn and Homestead, also at 60 N. Cleveland Ave., is closed for interior renovations for the rest of 2026. The work covers insulation, flooring, lighting, HVAC, ADA-compliant restrooms and updated warming kitchens on both floors. The City isn't taking reservations through the winter of 2027.

Oct. 23: Midnight Madness in Uptown. The last Fourth Friday of Uptown Westerville Inc.'s 2026 season runs 6 to 9 p.m. The City's listing calls it Mt. Carmel St. Ann's 4th Fridays & Midnight Madness and puts it on State Street between Walnut and West Home streets. It promises vendors, music, Halloween-season displays and DORA drinks from Uptown restaurants and breweries. Westerville police suggest parents take a clear photo of their children when they arrive, which helps officers reunite families if anyone gets separated. The event's ticketing listing says the festival is free and State Street will close for it. Friday DORA hours run 4 to 10 p.m., so the district opens two hours before the street festival starts.

The Westerville Public Library starts earlier. Its free, all-ages Wizards & Wands Midnight Madness program runs that same Friday from 4:30 to 9 p.m., with fantasy decor, missions and prize drawings. Costumes are encouraged. Wizards & Wands programs run all month, from Oct. 1 to 31.

Oct. 25: Zombie Halloween Pool Party. The Community Center's Sunday evening pool party starts at 5:30 p.m. and includes a haunted trick-or-treat trail. Registration is required, and the listed fee is $8. Roof work is underway at the Community Center from September through November. The City says to expect barricades, construction noise and part of the parking lot reserved for materials, with very little impact inside. The Community Center is also one of the Pumpkin Glow parking lots, so on Glow nights you may find fewer open spaces there than usual.

Oct. 29: Beggar's Night. The City doesn't recommend postponing for ordinary rain, cold or wind. A severe-weather warning or a major non-weather threat could justify a change, and the City leaves it to guardians' judgment. Its safety reminders cover using crosswalks, adding reflective material to costumes and carrying flashlights.

Two New Places to Eat Near the Events

Uptown has a new option across from Midnight Madness. Fat Arnie's Provecho opened at 20 S. State St., the former home of DiCarlo's Pizza, 614NOW reported on Oct. 6, 2026. The City lists the festival at the City Hall Courtyard, 21 S. State St., just across the street. DiCarlo's closed June 21, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

The new shop is the second location of the family-run Fat Arnie's Sandwich Shop on Indianola Avenue in Clintonville. Its menu leans Latin-inspired, with empanadas, "Chancho" pork belly with cheesy potato patties, the La Morlaca sandwich with black strap ham and roasted pork, and a mortadella panino with arugula pistachio pesto. The owners call the opening menu "Chapter One" and say it will change. Hours are Thursday 4 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shop said it would add Wednesday hours the following week. Those hours cover the Glow's Thursday opening night and the Friday of Midnight Madness.

On the Polaris side of town, Bombay House Restaurant & Bar opened Oct. 2 to 4 at 496 Polaris Pkwy., in the former Winking Lizard space, the Dispatch reported. The menu covers tandoori dishes, street food, Indo-Chinese dishes, biryanis and dosas.

After Thursday

For City households, Oct. 30 and 31 are back to a regular weekend. In Genoa Township, Galena, Sunbury, Powell and Worthington, Saturday night is trick-or-treat. Genoa Township says its police and fire personnel go through neighborhoods during those two hours to greet children and keep an eye on safety. If you live on a street near a boundary, Genoa Township's map can tell you which night is yours before you buy candy.

The Linda Rano Jonard Team works in Uptown Westerville and helps clients across the City and the townships around it. The difference between a mailing address and a jurisdiction comes up in our work every week, well beyond Halloween. If you're curious how that line affects your own home's value, ask us for a free home valuation and consultation, and we'll walk you through it.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.