When Chrysler dubbed its Pacifica the “Official Minivan of Trunk-or-Treat,” I was a little ashamed — as a parent and minivan owner — to admit I had no idea what that meant, at all. What in the world is Trunk-or-Treat, and how exactly are minivans involved in this Halloween tradition? A quick Google search proved I’m not the only one asking the hard questions, but there are also a lot of varying opinions on this new way to trick-or-treat with the kids.
What is trunk-or-treat?
In the least amount of words, it’s trick-or-treating out of the trunk of your car. But because that sounds kind of creepy and ultimately wrong, let’s elaborate on the explanation of this new trend. Apparently, families — or maybe just like-minded, Halloween-loving humans — are decorating their vehicles, specifically the trunk, then gathering together to celebrate the occasion. It’s usually set up in the parking lot of a school or church, or just a big enough open area, and similar to going door-to-door on Halloween, the children are going from trunk-to-trunk to collect their treats.
At first, it seems like a silly idea, but the more I think about it, the more pros come to mind. For many families, a trunk-or-treat event isn’t replacing the actual trick-or-treat night for the kids. Though, if it is, I can see why that might be making some people question the purpose of the event — at least those who grew up going door-to-door. (Nostalgia, amirite?)
One site explained it as a popular alternative to traditional trick-or-treating, in which kids don’t need to roam around neighbourhoods after dark. But, duh, young kids shouldn’t be roaming around outside after dark, at least not without some kind of adult supervision; so that’s really not an argument, in my opinion. However, little kids potentially around moving cars in dark neighbourhoods is another story.
This person is totally against the idea for a few reasons including its origin story, but also because kids need to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. I don’t disagree with that, but trunk-or-treat does take place in the fresh air, and, again, trunk-or-treat isn’t meant to replace the Halloween night of trick-or-treating.
Personally, the only red flag for trunk-or-treat is the act of taking candy from a stranger in a car. However, you’d know the event organizers and attendees if it’s being done at your child’s school. Besides, traditional trick-or-treaters wouldn’t go door-to-door asking neighbours for candy on any other day, so maybe that isn’t a valid red flag, anyway.
All that said, I was still questioning the idea of trunk-or-treat and why I don’t know more about it, and as luck would have it, this past weekend I saw my cousin post a picture of her kids at – you guessed it – a trunk-or-treat event. And since I haven’t been invited to any such events here in Ontario, I dove in with all my questions, which ultimately lead me to believe that trunk-or-treat is similar to the American version of prom night we often see on TV — it’s one of those things that just seems so much cooler in America.
When Susan Seetharaman’s eldest daughter was in daycare, they first heard of the trunk-or-treat concept that was being held in the parking lot of the centre. Parents had to sign up, since the daycare had limited parking spots. Their current school also has an organized event in which some people volunteer to decorate their car and others donate bags of candy to be distributed to the decorated cars. They don’t make a competition out of decorating the cars, but some people certainly get a little more spirited than others. She noted a Batman-themed trunk being the most memorable of the night.
How many cars are needed to have a successful Trunk-or-Treat event?
It depends on how many kids and families are attending. At the school my cousin’s kids attend, there were roughly 30 cars involved, but they explained that number has been a bit lower than pre-pandemic trunk-or-treats (it’s been going on for that long!?). Many of the parents or families who used to participate (pre-COVID) have older kids in new schools, and the turnouts haven’t been as intense as in previous years, apparently noticeably so, based on the empty parking spaces.
In addition to trunk-or-treat, their school has carnival games and inflatable obstacle courses set up on the same night, making it a whole event for the families attending.
Which vehicle is best for Trunk-or-Treat?
Rivian’s new limited-time software update allows you to “dress-up” the R1T or R1S electric truck or sport-utility for Halloween (between October 18 and November 4), making it a great base for a trunk-or-treat event. It includes themes inspired by Knight Rider‘s K.I.T.T. and Back to the Future‘s DeLorean Time Machine with custom infotainment graphics, lighting, and sound effects.
But if you’re just a fan of some old-school Halloween themes, then the “Haunted Rivian Car Costume” offers eight sound effects and three colour themes. While most of the features only work when the vehicle is parked (safety first!) the digital instrument cluster also gets Halloween-inspired updates, with pedestrians appearing as zombies, and cyclists as headless horsemen. Rivian seems like it’s vying for that official trunk-or-treat title. Step your game up, Chrysler!
That said, according to Susan, anything with a trunk will do the trick. Sure, a bigger car means more space to decorate, but as long as there’s a trunk, it can be decorated. In other words, you don’t need a minivan or a Rivian to have an amazing trunk-or-treat vehicle.
How to decorate your car for Trunk-or-Treat
Essentially, decorating your car is like decorating the front of your house for Halloween. While you can definitely get creative and DIY a whole trunk with a super-cool theme, places like Amazon, among other stores, sell kits for your trunk. That isn’t too surprising, considering all modern events seem to be the product of a money-grab scheme. At the very least, this one is kind of fun, especially for those who love to go all out for Halloween!
Some interesting ones from Amazon — that can easily be reused for an indoor party — include a dinosaur or shark sticking out of your trunk; a candy land or farm theme; or even a kit to create your own silly monster or spider. Some decorators even go the extra mile by getting the kids involved with an interactive component to their car, such as a ring toss.
Susan noted that while there’s no real competition, there are some participants who take things quite seriously, including a husband and wife at the school who can’t agree on how to best trunk-or-treat, and so settle the argument by each separately decorating their own car.
What’s the worst part of Trunk-or-Treat?
Susan said the only downside to trunk-or-treat is the need for a backup plan if it rains. The school uses the gym filled with tables, if needed, but that defeats the purpose of decorating your car, and trunk-or-treat in general.
For some reason, some people seem to be under the impression that trunk-or-treat is replacing the traditional trick-or-treat. But like Susan said, just because you have Friendsgiving doesn’t take away from having Thanksgiving with family on the actual day. And, yes, her kids still go trick-or-treating on actual Halloween day, and get to use their costumes again, too. (Bonus points for getting more than one use out of a child’s Halloween costume.)
What are the pros of Trunk-or-Treat?
It’s another opportunity for the kids to get out and enjoy some fresh air, as well as creating a sense of community within the school, in addition to the neighbourhood’s community on Halloween.
It’s also great for little kids (or big ones) who get tired quickly, since it’s a smaller area of walking. Susan noted that some neighbourhoods have houses on big lots, and it’s a bit of a trek to get from one house to the next (though that may not be a problem in the GTA) and if the kids are getting tired just from the walk then you aren’t hitting as many houses as originally planned.
Generally speaking, trunk-or-treat is a safer space for kids since they’re surrounded by their school community, but it’s also safer because they won’t be around any potentially moving cars in the dark.
One interesting way to spin trunk-or-treat would be to have specific communities get involved. For example, it might be ideal for like-minded parent groups to coordinate a trunk-or-treat that accommodates kids with certain allergies — it would certainly take the anxiety out of going through the ingredients on every piece of candy your kid brings home to ensure there are indeed no traces of peanuts.
Final thoughts on Trunk-or-Treat
I’m sold. Count me in to the next trunk-or-treat event because I’ll use any excuse to get my kids involved in something that doesn’t involve a screen. Seriously, I’ve decorated our car with Christmas lights and reusable stickers, just to go to a drive-through Christmas light show; I think we can get really creative with a Halloween-themed car.
Do we need a Chrysler Pacifica to get the job done? Absolutely not, but you know I’ll never pass up the chance to drive an awesome minivan, and just think of how those Stow ‘n’ Go seats offer quick access to a load of space. And of course, sliding doors never hurt the case! Did I just talk myself into agreeing that the Chrysler Pacifica is the “Official Minivan of Trunk-or-Treat”? What do you think? Let us know in the comments how you feel about trunk-or-treat and which car would be great for this event!