Columbia City sets trick‑or‑treating for Halloween night, 5–8 p.m.

Columbia City’s Board of Works and Safety voted unanimously Tuesday to hold the city’s annual trick‑or‑treating on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The board’s decision breaks with recent practice of holding trick‑or‑treat on a Saturday for convenience but aligns the city event with the actual Halloween date this year. The board discussed pros and cons — including parents’ schedules, potential conflicts with football games and overlap with nonprofit and church events — before adopting the Friday evening plan.

The board chair opened the discussion by noting that, while past surveys favored a Saturday, Halloween falls on a Friday this year and a Saturday option would either fall on Oct. 25 (seen as too early) or Nov. 1 (after October). Board members and staff discussed scheduling tradeoffs; one member said, “the traditionalist in our community really wanted to remain on Halloween, but I think for practicality, we've kept it on Saturday.” After hearing comments, the chair moved to set the hours and date; the motion passed unanimously.

The board did not adopt any new ordinances or enforcement changes tied to the decision. The chair provided a city contact phone number (260‑248‑5111) for residents with questions and noted the board would revisit schedule policy in future years if needed.