Washington Street in Berlin is pictured during a previous Halloween.

By Tara Fischer

Staff Writer

(Nov. 12, 2026) Berlin officials are considering changes to how they handle Halloween next year, including additional road closures and shifting trick-or-treating hours, to improve pedestrian safety.

At Monday night’s Town Council meeting, Council Vice President Jack Orris suggested moving trick-or-treating from its traditional 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. slot to 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Orris said while trick-or-treating is not a town-sponsored event, the municipality should encourage trick-or-treaters to hit the streets when the roads are closed.

Berlin Police Chief Howard Drewer said officers closed additional streets this year for public safety, including Main Street from Buckingham Presbyterian Church to the Atlantic Hotel and both parts of West Street. He added that his officers shut down the roads when the pedestrian population increased, rather than at a set time.

Drewer said he received positive feedback about the closures and that he would be willing to obtain necessary permits ahead of next year’s event to make the traffic restrictions more predictable.

“We didn’t plan it so much this year other than watching the horizon,” he said. “Next year, I would be glad to file permits. Whichever hours the mayor and council decide…[trick-or-treating] is not sponsored by anybody, but we can at least sponsor the road being closed.”

Berlin Mayor Zack Tyndall said the police department and town staff considered that Halloween fell on a Saturday this year and that nice weather was expected.

“We talked about the fact it will be a Saturday and warm weather,” he said. “…The chief spearheaded that to make sure we had people to be able to lock it down if needed.”

When considering how to approach next year, Councilwoman Shaneka Nichols said that she’s skeptical that changing the holiday’s hours would affect when kids and families are out and about.

She noted that trick-or-treaters were walking through town as early as 4 p.m. and some remained out as late as 9 p.m. She questioned whether changing the official hours would make much difference, arguing that children would likely be out before and after the designated timeframe regardless.

“They will be out regardless of what time we have,” Nichols said.

Tyndall maintained that trick-or-treating has been designated from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. “forever,” and changing it might create more issues than leaving it as is.

Nichols also raised concerns about vehicles continuing to enter Main Street from Washington Street, suggesting additional barriers or closures to prevent through traffic. Drewer explained that officers had placed no-through-traffic signage near Burley Street and stationed a crossing guard at West and West Buckingham streets.

The municipality’s officials will consider these changes in time for next year’s Halloween.