Malls open their doors to trick-or-treaters Wednesday

Some malls will offer trick-or-treating hours, others won't. Get all the details here.

Posted 12:55 a.m. Oct 30, 2012 — Updated 12:55 a.m. Oct 30, 2012

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

As a native of central New York, I remember always planning my Halloween costume around my winter coat and sometimes trudging through snow for candy, so it would have to be pretty stormy for my kids to stay inside on Halloween.

We were out last year as the rain poured down on us. The rain made the night even more memorable. If you're planning to trick or treat in your neighborhood, click here to see the recommended trick-or-treating hours for more than three dozen communities in our region.

WRAL is forecasting highs around 58 degrees and lows around 37 degrees, making it a cooler night for trick-or-treating. And that means some families may be looking for an indoor candy spot. Some of the region's malls will be open for trick-or-treating this year. Participating stores will be handing out candy.

One important note, however: Not all stores hand out candy and, in past years, the candy can run out very quickly. In some cases last year, children left with no candy or a handful of coupons or fliers. So, if you plan to trick or treat at the mall, get there as early as you can to ensure your child gets some candy. Some malls will have costume contests and other activities. Others will just have trick-or-treating.

Here's what's scheduled:

10 a.m. to 4 p.m., University Square, including Kidzu Children's Museum, in Chapel Hill. Kidzu, great for kids 8 and under, will offer special activities, which are free with admission to the museum.
4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Carolina Premium Outlets in Smithfield. Trick-or-treating for kids in costume ages 12 and under. Pick up a list of participating stores from the Information Center, between Nike and Dairy Queen.
5 p.m. at North Hills in Raleigh
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at University Mall in Chapel Hill
6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Oct. 31 at Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh
6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cary Towne Center in Cary. It's part of a celebration that is organized, in part, by the Town of Cary.
4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Crossroads Plaza in Cary
Not a mall, but there will be a Halloween event at the N.C. Museum of History from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. with trick or treating and more.

As I reported earlier, Triangle Town Center in Raleigh and The Streets at Southpoint and Northgate Mall in Durham will not have organized trick-or-treating hours this year.

If you know of other malls participating in trick-or-treating or if your church will offer a special event Wednesday night, please share in the comments below.

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