If your family plans to trick-or-treat in the Village on Oct. 31, the Village's own version will be a week behind you. The Village of Pinehurst's trick-or-treating is Saturday, Oct. 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. It is the opening act of Oktoberfest at James W. Tufts Memorial Park.
By the time Halloween actually arrives, the Village has stepped back, and three other hosts take over the weekend. The Village's candy and the Oct. 31 events fall exactly one week apart, with different organizers, hours and rules.
Saturday the 24th Is the Village's Halloween
The Village's Oktoberfest listing splits the evening into two halves. Kinderfest runs from 4 to 6 p.m. with food trucks, beverage vendors and a Kids Zone. Oktoberfest follows from 6 to 9 p.m. with live German music, the same food trucks and the Kids Zone still open.
Here is how the Village describes the first half:
"The evening kicks off with Kinderfest, a special celebration for children and families featuring Village Trick-or-Treating, music, crafts, a bubble artist and Halloween-themed fun."
Admission is free. Food, beverages and beer are for sale throughout the evening, so bring a way to pay along with the costumes.
This year's listing doesn't say which shops or groups will hand out candy. The 2023 Village listing described the trick-or-treating as taking place "at the downtown businesses," with Kinderfest activities in the park. The 2026 listing names Tufts Memorial Park as the location and doesn't describe a route.
Why It Lands Early
Village trick-or-treating isn't scheduled around Halloween. It rides along with Oktoberfest, and Oktoberfest takes a late-October Saturday wherever the calendar puts one.
The pattern shows up across the years:
| Year | Oktoberfest date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Saturday, Oct. 23 | Kinderfest 4 to 6 p.m., Oktoberfest 6 to 9 p.m., Kiwanis handling beer and wine |
| 2022 | Saturday, Oct. 22 | Kinderfest 4 to 6 p.m., German music and vendors at Tufts Memorial Park |
| 2023 | Saturday, Oct. 28 | Kinderfest with trick-or-treating at downtown businesses, Oktoberfest 6 to 9 p.m. |
| 2026 | Saturday, Oct. 24 | Kinderfest with Village Trick-or-Treating, Oktoberfest 6 to 9 p.m. |
The kids-first, adults-later split goes back further than that. A gallery from The Pilot shows an afternoon Kinderfest with carnival games and contests for children. The evening Oktoberfest that followed had German music, folk dancing, a pumpkin-apple baking contest and a games arena.
Some years that Saturday falls close to Halloween, as it did in 2023. This year it falls a full week before. Families who went in 2023 may remember it as a Halloween-weekend event, and this year's date can sneak up on them.
Who Is Cooking, Pouring and Playing
Most of Oktoberfest's character comes from the vendors, and this year's lineup has some real German credentials.
- Harmon's Deutsche Küche is a family food truck serving southern German cuisine. Mark and Katrina Harmon run it in Fayetteville and the surrounding area. Mark was born in Stuttgart, and Katrina is a North Carolina native.
- Hello Honey Suckle Candy, the J.S&M Ice Cream Truck and DT Coffee Co. round out the food truck list.
- Kiwanis Club of the Sandhills is providing the German beverages.
- OOPS, short for Optimistic Oompah Polka Souls, plays the 6 to 9 p.m. set. According to the band's own history page, OOPS started in late October 2018 to play at The Bavarian Kitchen in Troutman, North Carolina. Its early members played around Lake Norman, and David Jazbec leads the band.
The Kids Zone stays open through both halves, so a family can arrive for candy and stay for the polka band.
Then the Week Changes Hands
After Saturday, the Village has one more event of its own before Halloween. A free outdoor screening of Hocus Pocus starts Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. in James W. Tufts Memorial Park. It's a partnership between the Village and Pinehurst Business Partners. Picnic baskets are welcome, outside alcohol isn't, and the Village suggests bringing a lawn chair or blanket.
Saturday, Oct. 31, belongs to three different hosts, each with its own hours and its own audience.
| When | What | Host | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:30 a.m. | Monster Mash Dash Fun Run | Benefits Special Olympics Moore County | Cannon Park, 90 Woods Rd. | Free |
| 9:00 a.m. | Monster Mash Dash 5K | Benefits Special Olympics Moore County | Cannon Park, 90 Woods Rd. | $35 |
| 5 to 7 p.m. | Halloween Trunk or Treat | The Village Chapel | 10 Azalea Rd. | Open to everyone |
| 6:10 to 9:30 p.m. tee times | Glow & Ghouls glow golf | Pinehurst Resort | The Cradle | Ticketed, ages 12+ |
Morning: the Monster Mash Dash
The Village's listing calls it a course through the Village of Pinehurst. Costumes are encouraged, all ages are welcome, and runners, walkers and anyone rolling to the finish line are all invited. Every participant gets a custom race shirt and a post-race treat bag.
The deadline is what catches people. On the race's registration page, 5K signups close Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The free Fun Run stays open until 7:30 a.m. on race morning. Gate City Timing is handling the 5K timing, and proceeds support Special Olympics Moore County programs.
Early Evening: Trunk or Treat
For families who want candy on Halloween itself, The Village Chapel's annual Trunk or Treat runs from 5 to 7 p.m. at 10 Azalea Rd. A listing in The Pines Times promises candy, games and family activities, with costumes encouraged and everyone welcome.
After Dark: The Cradle Lit Up
Pinehurst Resort's Glow & Ghouls turns The Cradle's nine holes into a glow-golf course after dark. It's for ages 12 and up, and there's a costume contest whose winner is notified by email after the event. The page header lists 6:30 p.m., but the booking details say tee times run from 6:10 to 9:30 p.m. You pick your tee time after buying tickets.
Two details matter for planning. Each tee time holds up to six people, and smaller parties will be paired with others. Clubs and bags aren't provided, so bring your own putter.
Getting to the Village Green by Golf Cart
Both Village events at Tufts Memorial Park welcome golf carts, and both listings give carts their own entrance and a spot on the pine straw.
- Head for Village Green Road. The Hocus Pocus listing says Village Green Rd E.
- Enter the park from behind the Given Memorial Library & Tufts Archives.
- Park in the pine straw under the trees. For cars, free parking is available, and on Oktoberfest night drivers should follow the event signs and use only designated areas.
- Accessible parking is available throughout downtown for both events.
If Saturday's weather turns, the Village says it will post any changes to Oktoberfest on its social media channels.
Put together, a family could do Kinderfest candy on Oct. 24 and the movie on the Green on Oct. 30. On Oct. 31 they could run or walk the Monster Mash in the morning and go to Trunk or Treat on Azalea Road that evening. That's four outings in one week, and only the 5K and the glow golf cost anything.
I love watching the Village Green fill with costumes and lawn chairs every October. If your family is new to Pinehurst, or you're thinking about a move and want a feel for these traditions, I'm glad to talk through the seasonal calendar with you. Rose A Ward would be delighted to hear from you. Let's Connect.
