Halloween Starts with Parents: The Audience Driving Seasonal Traditions
How Parents Plan, Shop, and Celebrate Halloween
Halloween may be one of the most anticipated holidays for children, but parents are often the ones responsible for bringing the celebration to life. From purchasing costumes and candy to decorating their homes and planning activities, parents play a central role in shaping Halloween traditions. In fact, 55 million U.S. parents with kids under 18 are planning to celebrate Halloween this year (88%).
Parents' influence extends beyond holiday planning and into purchasing decisions throughout the season. They are 40% more likely to strongly agree that their children have a significant impact on the brands they choose, and 27% more likely to strongly agree that they find it hard to resist their children's requests for non-essential purchases. These behaviors highlight the unique role parents play as both shoppers and decision-makers, making them one of the most influential consumer audiences during the Halloween season. Understanding how parents plan, shop, and celebrate can provide valuable insight into the behaviors driving Halloween traditions.
55 Million Parents Plan to Celebrate Halloween This Year
Creating Halloween Memories: The Activities Parents Are Planning
Halloween has evolved into much more than a single night of trick-or-treating. For many families, the holiday is centered around creating memorable experiences that bring children, parents, and communities together.
- Among parents, buying candy remains the most popular planned Halloween activity, with 47% intending to purchase candy this year.
- Another 39% plan to watch horror or scary movies, while 33% plan to buy a costume and 31% plan to purchase Halloween decorations.
Although costume purchasing has declined slightly from 36% in 2025 and candy purchasing has fallen from 53% last year, these traditions continue to be central to Halloween celebrations. Together, these activities highlight how parents actively invest in creating festive moments and family memories, transforming Halloween from a single evening into a season-long celebration.
Beyond activities at home, many parents are also planning experiences that extend into their communities.
- 28% of parents plan to go trick-or-treating, making it one of the most enduring Halloween traditions and remaining unchanged from 2025.
- Meanwhile, 19% expect to attend a house party, 16% plan to visit a haunted attraction or seasonal theme park, and 15% are preparing to host a Halloween party of their own.
- Among parents, 20% plan to purchase alcoholic beverages and 11% intend to celebrate by going to a bar or club.
While some social activities show modest declines compared to the previous year, parents continue to embrace a variety of ways to celebrate Halloween with family and friends. These behaviors demonstrate that parents are not simply participating in Halloween traditions; they are helping create experiences that make the holiday memorable year after year.
What's Going in the Candy Bowl? The Brands Parents Are Buying
Candy remains one of the most recognizable symbols of Halloween, making it a central part of the holiday’s shopping traditions.
- 27% of parents are purchasing Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, making it the most purchased chocolate candy brand among this audience.
- Kit Kat follows at 20%, while Snickers reaches 17% and M&M's Peanut is purchased by 15% of parents.
- Hershey's Milk Chocolate maintains a strong presence at 13%, with Twix close behind at 11%.
These brands represent some of the most recognizable names in the candy aisle, reflecting parents' tendency to gravitate toward trusted favorites during seasonal shopping occasions. Their popularity suggests that familiar brands continue to play an important role in helping parents prepare for trick-or-treaters and other Halloween celebrations.
While chocolate remains the leading category, fruity and chewy candies also play an important role in Halloween celebrations.
- Sour Patch Kids and Skittles are each purchased by 10% of parents, making them the leading non-chocolate options.
- Haribo Gold-Bears follow at 9%, while AirHeads and Nerds each reach 7% of parents.
These brands help add variety to Halloween candy bowls, giving parents options that appeal to different tastes and preferences. The combination of chocolate, gummy, and chewy candies suggests that many parents are building candy assortments designed to satisfy a broad range of trick-or-treaters rather than relying on a single type of candy.
Parents Are the Decision-Makers Behind Halloween
For many families, Halloween involves much more than a trip to the candy aisle. Parents are coordinating the details that help bring the holiday to life. From deciding which activities to participate in to making purchasing decisions for their families, parents play a central role in shaping the Halloween experience.
- Being prepared for anything is a significant part of that process, with 62% of parents planning to check the weather before participating in Halloween activities.
This behavior highlights the thoughtful and practical role parents often play as they manage family schedules, outdoor events, and seasonal traditions. Halloween may be fun and spontaneous for children, but parents frequently approach the holiday with careful preparation. Understanding this planning mindset can help marketers identify moments when parents are actively making purchasing and participation decisions.
That same planning mindset extends to how parents shop throughout the Halloween season, balancing variety, value, and family priorities when making purchasing decisions.
- Variety appears to be important to many parents, as they are 23% more likely to like to change brands often for the sake of novelty and new experiences.
- Family well-being also plays a role in purchasing decisions, with parents being 16% more likely to buy natural products because they are concerned about their family's health.
- Savings opportunities continue to influence shopping behaviors, as parents are 16% more likely to switch brands to use a coupon.
- Value-conscious purchasing extends beyond coupons, with parents being 16% more likely to purchase generic brands when those products are on sale.
Together, these behaviors reveal an audience that is open to trying new products while remaining highly conscious of family needs and value. As parents make decisions about costumes, candy, decorations, and seasonal activities, they represent an especially valuable audience for brands looking to influence Halloween purchasing decisions.
Parents Are Open to New Brands and Deals
Conclusion
Halloween may be built around costumes, candy, and trick-or-treating, but parents are the audience driving many of the decisions behind the holiday. From planning family activities to filling candy bowls with trusted favorites, parents influence how Halloween is celebrated both at home and in their communities. Their behaviors reveal a thoughtful audience that balances family priorities, seasonal traditions, and purchasing decisions throughout the season.
For marketers and media planners, understanding these behaviors provides valuable insight into one of Halloween's most influential consumer segments. Brands that connect with parents' planning mindset and family-focused priorities will be better positioned to build meaningful engagement during a season centered on shared experiences and lasting memories.
Ready to activate your next campaign?
MRI-Simmons has a full library of syndicated audience segments ready for activation through leading programmatic platforms.
Learn more about our Halloween audiences.
Source: 2026 Q3 Trending Topics Study (SP26 USA). Audience: Parent of child under 18 currently living in the household.
