Halloween Day Plan: Family Events Around Concord and Manchester

Halloween 2026 falls on a Saturday, which gives families in the Merrimack Valley a full weekend to work with. Manchester and Concord have both set their official trick-or-treat hours, and Manchester is hosting a downtown trick-or-treat event the day before. This Halloween day plan collects the confirmed times in one place and fills the daylight hours with family-friendly stops from our directory, so the costumes can wait until evening.

We have included only times confirmed by the cities or their published event listings. If an event is not on this page, it is because we could not verify its details. Plans can change with weather, so check the city's website on the day.

Official 2026 trick-or-treat times

Manchester

• Citywide trick-or-treating: Saturday, October 31, 4 to 7 PM.
• Downtown Manchester Trick-or-Treat: Friday, October 30, 3 to 6 PM, at City Hall and Stanton Plaza on Elm Street, with participating businesses, games, music and activities.

Concord and Penacook

• Concord: Saturday, October 31, 5 to 7:30 PM (suggested hours).
• Penacook: Friday, October 30, 5 to 7:30 PM (suggested hours).

Concord has also listed Halloween street closures for October 31 on some residential streets. Check the city calendar for the current list before driving through neighborhoods that evening.

Because Penacook and Downtown Manchester both run on Friday, and the citywide hours run on Saturday, some families can enjoy two evenings of trick-or-treating.

A Halloween Saturday plan

Breakfast: The Red Arrow Diner

Start the day at The Red Arrow Diner, a Manchester institution since 1922. The original diner is in downtown Manchester, and the restaurant also has locations in Concord, Londonderry and Nashua too, so you can pick whichever is closest. A diner breakfast is a good way to fuel up for a long day that ends with a lot of walking.

Morning: McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Concord

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord is a science museum dedicated to two New Hampshire space pioneers. Christa McAuliffe was the Concord High School social studies teacher selected by NASA from more than 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space. Alan Shepard, a Derry native and Navy test pilot, became the first American in space and one of only twelve people to walk on the Moon.

The 45,000-square-foot museum has 20,000 square feet of interactive science and engineering exhibits, a full-dome digital planetarium, an observatory and, outside, a full-sized replica of a Mercury-Redstone rocket. It is a good choice for kids of nearly any age, and a planetarium show is a fitting way to spend part of a dark-sky holiday. Check the center's website for Halloween-weekend hours and show times.

Midday: local history in Concord

The Concord Historical Society preserves the capital city's colonial, statehouse and industrial history along the Merrimack River. For families with older children who enjoy local stories, it is a good companion to the space center. Contact the society about visiting hours and programs before you go.

Afternoon: Currier Museum of Art, Manchester

Head back to Manchester for the Currier Museum of Art. Its collection includes European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculpture, with works by Picasso, Matisse, Monet, O'Keeffe, Calder, John Singer Sargent and Andrew Wyeth. The museum also maintains two house museums designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Zimmerman House and the Toufic H. Kalil House. Its public programs include family activities. Check the museum's calendar for weekend hours and anything planned for Halloween.

Evening: trick-or-treating

Head home or to your chosen neighborhood in time for the official hours: 4 to 7 PM in Manchester, or 5 to 7:30 PM in Concord.

Getting between the two cities

Concord and Manchester are linked by Interstate 93, so the plan above works as a single loop. Holiday-weekend traffic can build in the late afternoon, and neighborhood streets slow down once trick-or-treating starts, so aim to be back in your own neighborhood with time to spare before the official hours begin.

A Friday option

If you would rather celebrate on Friday:

• Take the kids to Downtown Manchester Trick-or-Treat at City Hall and Stanton Plaza, 3 to 6 PM.
• Or, in Penacook, trick-or-treat from 5 to 7:30 PM.

That leaves Saturday free for the museums, or for a second round of candy.

Add a little history on the way

If you have time between museum stops in Manchester, take a short walk or drive past the Amoskeag Millyard along the Merrimack River. These brick mills once formed the largest cotton textile plant in the world, with about 17,000 employees at its peak. The company went bankrupt in 1935, and the renovated buildings now hold offices, restaurants, apartments and a museum. It makes an easy, free stop that older kids can connect to the city's name and story.

In Concord, the Pierce Manse at 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane was the home of Franklin Pierce, the 14th president, from 1842 to 1848. It was saved from demolition in 1971 by a local group and moved to its present site. Check its website for seasonal hours before you plan around it.

Halloween safety tips

• Be visible. Add reflective tape or a flashlight to costumes, since it is dark by the end of trick-or-treat hours.
• Stay on sidewalks and cross at corners.
• Go with an adult. Young children should always trick-or-treat with an adult.
• Check candy before kids eat it, and watch for allergens.
• Drive slowly in neighborhoods during trick-or-treat hours, and watch for children crossing between parked cars.
• Respect porch lights. A dark porch usually means the household is not participating.

What to pack for a full Halloween day

A day that runs from breakfast to the end of trick-or-treat hours is long for small children. A little planning helps:

• Snacks and water for the drive between Concord and Manchester.
• A change of clothes or a warm layer for under costumes.
• Flashlights or glow sticks for each child.
• A sturdy bag or bucket that will not tear halfway through the evening.
• Wipes and a small first-aid kit for face paint and scraped knees.

Consider leaving costumes off during the museum visits and putting them on just before trick-or-treating. Costumes stay clean, kids stay comfortable, and the evening feels like the main event.

Allergy-friendly trick-or-treating

Food allergies make Halloween tricky for many families. Some households set out a teal-painted pumpkin to signal that they offer non-food treats, such as stickers or small toys. If you are handing out treats, keeping a bowl of non-food items alongside the candy is an easy way to include every child who comes to your door.

Weather plan

Late-October weather in New Hampshire can be cold or wet. Plan costumes that fit over warm layers, and keep the indoor stops on this list in your back pocket. A museum or planetarium morning works whatever the forecast.

FAQ

What are Manchester's trick-or-treat hours for 2026?

Citywide trick-or-treating is Saturday, October 31, from 4 to 7 PM.

What are Concord's trick-or-treat hours for 2026?

Saturday, October 31, from 5 to 7:30 PM. Penacook's hours are Friday, October 30, from 5 to 7:30 PM.

When is Downtown Manchester Trick-or-Treat?

Friday, October 30, from 3 to 6 PM at City Hall and Stanton Plaza on Elm Street.

What can families do during the day on Halloween?

Visit the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester or the Concord Historical Society, with breakfast at the Red Arrow Diner.

Who is the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center named for?

Christa McAuliffe, the Concord teacher selected to be the first teacher in space, and Alan Shepard, the first American in space.

Sources

• Manchester trick-or-treat hours: WMUR, https://www.wmur.com/article/manchester-2026-trick-or-treating-time-101326/74123034, and Visit Manchester NH fall events, https://www.visitmanchesternh.com/manchesterfallevents/
• Concord and Penacook hours: City of Concord Recreation guide, https://rec.concordnh.gov/recreation/flipbook2/inc/html/page23.html; WMUR 2026 schedule, https://www.wmur.com/article/new-hampshire-trick-or-treat-schedule-2026/73948909
• Concord street closures: https://www.concordnh.gov/Calendar.aspx?EID=22416
• McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McAuliffe-Shepard_Discovery_Center
• Currier Museum of Art, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Currier_Museum_of_Art
• Red Arrow Diner: https://www.redarrowdiner.com/ and NHTG directory listing.
• Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoskeag_Manufacturing_Company
• Pierce Manse, Wikipedia (1842-1848, moved 1971, 14 Horseshoe Pond Lane): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierce_Manse