"Trick or Treating in the City of Delavan is always on Halloween from 4:00-6:00pm, followed by a 'goblin walk' to the American Legion's haunted house."
That line comes from the City of Delavan's website. A few miles away, the Town of Delavan works from a different rule. Its community events page sets town trick-or-treating for the last Sunday in October. Most years the two dates sit a few days apart. In 2026, Halloween lands on a Saturday and the last Sunday of October is the 25th. That puts the two Delavans on back-to-back weekends, with nearly a full week between them.
The City and the Town are separate governments with separate websites and separate Halloween schedules. Neither date is a mistake. Each one follows a standing policy, and the rest of Delavan's late-fall calendar happens to fall in around them.
Two Rules, Side by Side
Here's how the two schedules compare for 2026, according to each government's own posting.
| Town of Delavan | City of Delavan | |
|---|---|---|
| Standing rule | Last Sunday in October | Always on Halloween |
| 2026 date | Sunday, Oct. 25 | Saturday, Oct. 31 |
| Trick-or-treat hours | Noon to 3 p.m. | 4 to 6 p.m. |
| What follows | Halloween party at Waters Edge, 3 to 5 p.m. | Goblin Walk to the American Legion, 6 to 7 p.m. |
The hours tell you a lot about each event. The town runs its trick-or-treating in full Sunday daylight and finishes with a party at a single spot. The city starts in late afternoon and ends with a walk as the light fades. If you aren't sure which schedule covers your street, check which government appears on your property tax bill. The Town of Delavan and the City of Delavan each post their own updates.
The Run-Up: Two Harvest Events at Staller Estate
The calendar starts filling in well before either costume weekend, and much of it happens at Staller Estate Winery & Distillery on County Road A.
Staller's Harvest Wine & Dine is Sunday, Oct. 11, from noon to 2 p.m. It's a five-course meal with wine pairings, $65 per person, and reservations are required. Staller's September-through-May schedule is Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., so plan around the Monday and Tuesday closures. The schedule also lists the winery as closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Ten days later, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, the same property hosts the 4th Annual Taste of Delavan: Bites & Bottles from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It's a multi-chamber event at W8896 County Road A, listed through the Delavan-Delavan Lake Area Chamber of Commerce. The registration page promises harvest bites from local food spots, wine and spirits, and a performance by the Delavan-Darien High School String Choir. The Geneva Lake West Chamber's listing asks guests to RSVP by Friday, Oct. 16. Neither listing names the participating restaurants.
If you need pumpkins before either trick-or-treat date, a September guide to fall in Walworth County lists Apple Barn Orchard & Winery, Mac's Market and JJ's Pumpkin Patch among the October farm stops in the Elkhorn and Delavan area. Mac's Market is at W8042 WI-11 in Delavan and says its pumpkins, gourds and squash have been ready since September. Apple Barn says pumpkins usually arrive in October and suggests calling or checking its social media for current stock. A little farther out, Pearce's Farm Stand in Walworth lists daily hours of 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. from mid-July through October, along with a corn maze. Its home page also lists seasonal fall decorations alongside produce and baked goods. October is that window's last month, so go sooner rather than later.
Weekend One Belongs to the Town
The first Halloween weekend starts on Saturday, Oct. 24, with the downtown Halloween Brew Walk. The event flyer promises craft beer at 12-plus locations in historic downtown Delavan, and GoWalCo's listing caps the event at 250 tickets. Attendees pick up a wristband, a tasting passport and a glass at check-in. Visit Delavan's listing adds a map to that kit. The two listings give different times. Visit Delavan says 3 to 7 p.m., and GoWalCo says 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Confirm the time when you buy your ticket. With only 250 tickets, it's also worth buying early.
The next day is the town's trick-or-treat. Community-wide trick-or-treating runs from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25. At 3 p.m. it moves to Waters Edge, 1220 South Shore Drive, for a Halloween party that lasts until 5. The Town's Oct. 5 announcement says residents and non-residents of all ages are welcome. Friends of the Park, the group connected to the community park there, lists music, games, a costume contest and free hot dogs for kids under 12.
Friends of the Park and the Town also ran Oktoberfest at Delavan Lake Community Park on Oct. 3. The Halloween party is their next event on the same grounds. The Town lists Friends of the Park as the contact for schedule questions.
Weekend Two Belongs to the City
Six days later, on Saturday, Oct. 31, city trick-or-treating runs from 4 to 6 p.m. At 6 p.m., the Goblin Walk gathers at the Post Office, 333 E. Walworth Ave., and heads to the American Legion. Visit Delavan lists it as running until 7. The city's page says the walk ends at the Legion's haunted house.
In most years, city Halloween falls on a weeknight and has to fit around school and work. This year it's a Saturday, so the hours from Waters Edge on the 25th to the Post Office on the 31st land on two weekend afternoons. Because the Town's party welcomes non-residents, the two events don't compete with each other.
The Streets Under the Costumes
Some city streets are smoother for the Goblin Walk than they were last spring. A Sept. 23 Department of Public Works update reported resurfacing finished on Richmond Road, Wright Street, West Washington Street and Bowers Boulevard. Lane markings went down Sept. 22 and 23. West Washington had been under construction from Spring Lane to Elm Street after a water main failed in the spring.
Two projects were still unfinished as of that update. Curbing on Bradley Avenue went in Sept. 18, and paving was expected within the following two weeks. WalCoMet's sewer main repair on Mound Road was moving along, with completion scheduled for mid-November. That means Mound Road work will likely still be going on during both Halloween weekends. If your trick-or-treat route or your drive to Waters Edge uses Mound Road, allow some extra time. The City posts DPW updates on its homepage.
After the Costumes Come Off
Downtown Delavan picks back up a few weeks after Halloween. The Holiday Wine Walk on Saturday, Nov. 21, runs from 3 to 7 p.m., with wine and food samples at more than 12 downtown businesses. Small Business Saturday follows on Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Brew Walk and the Wine Walk both cover a dozen-plus downtown stops, about a month apart, so the October route and the November route will likely cover much of the same ground.
Your 2026 dates, in order:
- Sunday, Oct. 11: Harvest Wine & Dine at Staller Estate, noon to 2 p.m.
- Friday, Oct. 16: RSVP deadline for Taste of Delavan
- Wednesday, Oct. 21: Taste of Delavan: Bites & Bottles at Staller Estate, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 24: Downtown Halloween Brew Walk, afternoon into evening
- Sunday, Oct. 25: Town trick-or-treating from noon to 3 p.m., then the Waters Edge party from 3 to 5 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 31: City trick-or-treating from 4 to 6 p.m., then the Goblin Walk from 6 to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Holiday Wine Walk downtown, 3 to 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 28: Small Business Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Whether your street falls on the town's schedule or the city's affects more than Halloween. It also decides whose public works updates, whose park events and whose rules apply to your home all year long. If you're thinking about a move within the Delavan area and want to understand what changes from one side of that line to the other, Shannon Blay and the Keefe + Blay team are glad to walk you through it, starting with a free home valuation.
