Halloween and Teens: How old is too old to trick or treat

Local Halloween events are aimed at teens who might feel too old to trick or treat.

Posted 1:03 a.m. Oct 26, 2010 — Updated 1:05 a.m. Oct 26, 2010

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

I asked a 13-year-old the other day if she planned to trick or treat. Her answer: Not sure.

Last year, at age 12, she dressed up and went door-to-door. This year, she's torn between feeling too old and wanting candy.

I suspect this is a common question for parents and young teens. I trick-or-treated all through high school as did all my friends in the small town I grew up in. But we also came up with elaborate costumes that required all kinds of paper mache and glue guns. We definitely worked for our candy.

But it seems teens are discouraged these days from going door-to-door. And some cities (though none around here that I know of) actually ban teens from trick-or-treating.

If your teens are looking for an alternative, there are some Halloween events aimed at them.

Youngsville Realty will be hosting a Teen Halloween Bash from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday for kids ages 13 to 17. The event at Crossroads Entertainment, 413 Brooks St., in Wake Forest will include a costume contest, music, dancing, giveaways, lots of candy and refreshments. The cover charge is $5. Call 919-556-2588 for details. (Note: The Teen Halloween Bash is not the same as the Oct. 30 event advertised on Crossroads' website).

This is the first time Youngsville Realty has hosted the event. Anne Marie Della Morte, the realty company's owner, said she has left her business open on Halloween night to give out candy. But she noticed mostly young children coming by.

"The teens don't have anywhere to go," she said. "They have nowhere to go, nothing to do and guess what ... they get in trouble."

DellaMorte said her 14-year-old granddaughter and grandson will both be there.

"That was my main motive to do this, for them," she said. "I just figured they could socialize with other teens, dance and get to know other kids."

Here are a few other events teens might enjoy. A couple of them are organized by teens themselves.

Cary offers a Reel-ly Scary Movie Series at Koka Booth Amphitheatre starting Tuesday through Saturday. Gates open at 6 p.m. And the town's teen council and youth theatre will hold a Halloween Bash on Saturday with carnival games and a haunted house. The event is for all ages. Teens might enjoy the haunted house the most. Click here for details on both.
Durham will hold a costume party for teens ages 13 to 17 at W.D. Hill Recreation Center, 1308 Fayetteville St. from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday. There will be dancing, entertainment and other activities. Call 919-560-4292 for details.
Wakefield Theatre Company of Wakefield High School in Raleigh will hold its annual Family Fall Fun Festival from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. The event is for all ages and includes a haunted house. Click here for details.
The Halloween Teen Dance Party & Costume Fashion Show at Garner Road YMCA in Raleigh is for kids ages 13 to 18. The event is 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $6. The event is a fundraiser for Second Round Boxing, which connects at-risk students with positive role models, and N.C. H.E.A.T., a student organization that has actively opposed some of the Wake school board's decisions.
And of course there are all the haunted houses in the area. Check the Halloween and fall fun guide for more.

I'm sure there are more. So feel free to include your event in the comments. What are your teens doing this weekend?

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