Henderson's Halloween Lineup: Trunk or Treat, Teenie Weenie Halloweenie and a New Candle-Carving Class

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

On Oct. 8, News 3 Las Vegas reporter Andrew Nomura laid out the City of Henderson's Halloween schedule for October. The city's parks and recreation team runs these events every fall, but this year's list has one new addition and two returning favorites that still lie ahead on the calendar.

Spell Candle Carving Workshop, Oct. 20. This one is new this year. It takes place at the Henderson Multigenerational Center, 250 S. Green Valley Parkway. It is open to ages 12 and up. Guests decorate a Halloween-style taper or pillar candle, using paint or carved symbols and patterns. The city describes it as friendly for beginners, so nobody needs to show up with art skills. Start time and fee: [NOT VERIFIED].

Teenie Weenie Halloweenie, Oct. 28. This event is built for the smallest trick-or-treaters. It happens at Valley View Recreation Center, 500 Harris St. It includes self-led games, activities and a costume parade. It is for kids 6 and under, and each child must be with an adult. Session times and fee: [NOT VERIFIED].

Trunk or Treat, Oct. 29. This is the big one. It happens at Black Mountain Recreation Center, 599 Greenway Road. Kids follow a trick-or-treat trail through the parking lot and collect treats from decorated car trunks. The city says there will be activities and entertainment along the way. Oct. 29 falls on a Thursday this year. Start time and admission: [NOT VERIFIED].

One thing worth noticing is how the three events are spaced out. The candle class is more than a week before Halloween. The toddler event and Trunk or Treat land on back-to-back nights right before the holiday. That gives families a few options. You could do the toddler event with a younger child on Wednesday, take older kids to Trunk or Treat on Thursday, and still have Saturday, Oct. 31, open for neighborhood trick-or-treating or a family party.

Young child wearing a bat wings costume, the kind of outfit that fits Henderson's Teenie Weenie Halloweenie costume parade for kids 6 and under

The same report mentioned several other October offerings without dates: a blacklight boo bash, a cosmic swim, spooky bird activities, a pet trick-or-treat walk, Haunted at the Ranch, and zombie archery. The city also held its Zombie 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Wildhorse Golf Course, so that one has already happened. For the undated events, check HendersonHappenings.com before you make plans, because dates and sign-up windows can fill or change.

Henderson Police added a few safety reminders to the city's announcement. Wear reflective gear or carry a flashlight. Stay on sidewalks and use crosswalks. Keep young children with an adult. Check candy before anyone eats it. Those are simple rules, but they matter more in late October, when it gets dark earlier and drivers are not expecting kids in the road.

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Halloween in the valley can get expensive fast. Big attractions on and near the Strip charge real money per person, and the popular ticketed events in town tend to sell out. City recreation center events are a different kind of night out. They are close by, they are built for kids, and the city has kept prices low in past years. When News 3 says some events "may have a fee," that usually means a small registration charge, not a theme-park ticket. Still, check the current price before you go, since we could not confirm 2026 pricing.

These events also solve a real problem for parents of very young kids. Toddlers do not do well with long walks after dark, big crowds or loud haunted houses. Teenie Weenie Halloweenie is built around them. It is indoors-friendly, it is aimed at ages 6 and under, and it has games and a parade instead of scares. That makes it a low-stress way for a 2-year-old to wear the costume grandma bought and actually enjoy it.

Trunk or Treat fills a different gap. A lot of Henderson families live in newer communities with long, quiet streets, gated entries or HOA rules that make door-to-door trick-or-treating feel spread out. Others live in older neighborhoods where traffic is a worry. A lit, organized trail in one parking lot gives kids a lot of treats in a short walk, with adults all around. For parents, that is a big part of the appeal.

The new Spell Candle Carving Workshop is aimed at a group that often gets left out of Halloween plans: tweens, teens and adults. At ages 12 and up, it is a hands-on craft night instead of a candy run. A parent and a middle schooler could do it together, or a group of adult friends could sign up. It is also a good fit for anyone who likes Halloween but does not want jump scares.

Timing helps, too. Teenie Weenie Halloweenie and Trunk or Treat both fall on weeknights before Halloween weekend. For working parents, a short event close to home on a Wednesday or Thursday can be easier than a long drive across town on a Saturday. And because these are city events, families do not have to worry about a hard sales pitch or an add-on package at the door.

There is a bigger point too. Henderson's recreation centers are spread across the city. The Multigenerational Center sits on Green Valley Parkway in the Green Valley area. Valley View and Black Mountain are in older parts of central and east Henderson. Spreading events across different centers means more neighborhoods get a Halloween event within a short drive.

Background and History

Trunk or Treat and Teenie Weenie Halloweenie are not new. Both have been on Henderson's fall schedule for years. A KTNV roundup of the city's 2023 Halloween events listed Trunk or Treat at Black Mountain Recreation Center on a Thursday in late October, with a $3 advance and $5 at-the-door price. That same list put Teenie Weenie Halloweenie at Valley View Recreation Center for kids 6 and under with an adult, with a $5 fee. Those were 2023 prices. We have not confirmed whether they changed for 2026, so treat them as a rough guide only.

Melted candle in an ornate silver candlestick, similar to the taper candles guests will decorate at Henderson's new Spell Candle Carving Workshop

That 2023 list also shows how wide Henderson's Halloween season has been. It included a Zombie 5K, a cosmic swim at the Multigenerational Center's indoor pool, a spooky birds event at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, a pet trick-or-treat walk, and a haunting event at Whitney Ranch Recreation Center. Several of those names show up again in this year's list, which suggests the city keeps what works and adds a few new ideas each year. The candle workshop is this year's new idea.

Trunk or Treat events in general grew popular across the country over the last two decades. Churches, schools and cities started using parking lots as safe, compact trick-or-treat routes. In the Las Vegas Valley, that format makes a lot of sense. Many neighborhoods are designed around cars, and a single lot with decorated trunks puts dozens of "houses" within a few hundred feet.

The three venues have their own stories as well. Valley View Recreation Center on Harris Street is one of the city's older full-service rec centers and has served Henderson residents for more than 20 years. Black Mountain Recreation Center on Greenway Road includes a seasonal aquatic complex, a gym and a fitness center. The Henderson Multigenerational Center on Green Valley Parkway is one of the city's largest, with an indoor pool and space for classes like the candle workshop. Each one is a regular stop for many local families already.

Henderson's Halloween calendar is part of a larger year-round events program. The city's parks and recreation department runs seasonal events for nearly every holiday, plus classes, sports leagues and camps. Many of those events stay small on purpose. They are aimed at residents, not tourists, and they tend to draw families from the surrounding neighborhoods. That is a big reason they keep coming back year after year: people show up, register again, and tell their neighbors.

What Happens Next

Here is the timeline from now through the end of the month. The Spell Candle Carving Workshop is Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Henderson Multigenerational Center. Teenie Weenie Halloweenie is Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Valley View Recreation Center. Trunk or Treat is Thursday, Oct. 29, at Black Mountain Recreation Center. Halloween itself falls on Saturday, Oct. 31, this year.

The most important next step is registration. The city says some events need advance sign-up. A craft class like the candle workshop usually has a set number of seats, because every guest needs supplies and table space. Once those seats are gone, they are gone. Small-kid events can also cap attendance. If you want a spot, register early through HendersonHappenings.com. You can also call or stop by a city recreation center if you prefer to sign up in person.

Also watch the weather. Tropical Storm Rachel just gave Las Vegas its wettest day in a year, and late October can also bring wind. Outdoor events like Trunk or Treat sometimes change plans when weather turns. Check the city's event page or social media the day of the event before you load the kids in the car. And for the undated events on the city's list, like the pet trick-or-treat walk or zombie archery, watch HendersonHappenings.com for dates as they post.

Rows of orange pumpkin candy buckets ready for Halloween, like the ones kids will carry along the Trunk or Treat trail at Black Mountain Recreation Center

Ryan's Take

When people shop for a home in Henderson, they often ask about schools, parks and commute times. Fewer people ask about recreation centers, but they should. A city rec center is one of the most-used public amenities a neighborhood has. It is where kids take swim lessons, where seniors take fitness classes, and where events like Trunk or Treat bring a whole neighborhood together in one parking lot. Henderson has invested in a network of these centers across the city, and that network is part of what makes the city feel like a set of real neighborhoods instead of just subdivisions.

For buyers, a quick way to test a neighborhood is to look at what is within a 10-minute drive. Is there a rec center? A library? A park with lights? Events like these are a good sign that the city is active in that part of town. For sellers, local amenities are part of the story a listing tells. A home a few minutes from Black Mountain, Valley View or the Multigenerational Center has something to point to beyond the floor plan. It is not a number on an appraisal, but it does shape how families feel about living there.

What You Can Do

Start by picking the event that fits your household. If you have kids 6 and under, Teenie Weenie Halloweenie on Oct. 28 at Valley View is made for you. If you have school-age kids, plan on Trunk or Treat on Oct. 29 at Black Mountain. If you have a tween, a teen, or you just want a creative night out, look at the Spell Candle Carving Workshop on Oct. 20 at the Multigenerational Center. Then go to HendersonHappenings.com to confirm times, prices and registration, since those details were not in the original report.

Trick or Treat sign with Halloween decorations, a reminder to check registration for Henderson's October recreation center events

Next, plan for safety. Follow the Henderson Police tips: reflective gear or a flashlight, sidewalks and crosswalks, little ones with an adult, and a candy check before eating. For Trunk or Treat, parking lots can get busy as families arrive, so hold hands from the car to the trail. Write your phone number on a young child's wrist or inside a costume in case you get separated.

Finally, if you want to stack your Halloween plans, this week's other stories can help. Springs Preserve's Haunted Harvest runs Oct. 22 to 25, and a free-entry pumpkin patch is open nightly in Henderson through Oct. 31. Put a couple on the calendar and you have a full month of low-cost fall fun without leaving the valley.

A few quick tips by age. For toddlers, pick a costume they can walk in and take off easily, and pack a snack and a backup outfit. For school-age kids at Trunk or Treat, bring a bag that is easy to carry and a small flashlight, and set a meeting spot in case you get split up. For teens and adults at the candle workshop, wear clothes you do not mind getting a little paint or wax on, and ask the center if you should bring anything. When in doubt, call the recreation center hosting the event. Staff can answer questions about parking, start times and what to bring.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime.