Hollis has three Halloween events this year, and they fall on two days. They move from full afternoon light to darkness. The newest one comes first, on Friday at Beaver Brook. The one most families plan around, townwide trick-or-treat, starts about twenty minutes after sunset. A few hours later, clocks fall back. Pick your event by your kids' bedtime and how they do in the dark, not by habit.
Here is the weekend in order, with sunset marked for reference.
| When | What | Where | Light |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Oct 30, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. | Beaver Brook's first Trunk or Treat | Maple Hill Farm, 117 Ridge Road | Sunset 5:40 p.m., about 20 minutes before it ends |
| Sat, Oct 31, 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. | Library and Recreation Trunk-or-Treat, ages 0 to 6 plus older siblings | Hollis Social Library lot, 2 Monument Square | Ends about 40 minutes before the 5:39 p.m. sunset |
| Sat, Oct 31, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. | Townwide trick-or-treat | Neighborhoods across Hollis | Starts about 20 minutes after sunset |
| Sun, Nov 1, 2:00 a.m. | Daylight saving time ends | Everywhere | Clocks go back to 1:00 a.m. |
Friday Is the New Part of the Weekend
For years, Halloween in Hollis meant Saturday: the library lot in the afternoon and neighborhood streets at night. This year Beaver Brook Association adds a Friday event, and its own flyer calls it Beaver Brook's 1st Trunk or Treat. It runs Friday, October 30, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Maple Hill Farm, 117 Ridge Road. Cars set up at 3:30, and the event goes on rain or shine.
The flyer lists a family scavenger hunt, popcorn and apple cider. Hollis Brookline News adds a Halloween hike and outdoor exploring, and says it is free and open to all ages. Beaver Brook pitches it as a way to "get a jump on Halloween weekend."
Timing matters here. Sunset in the Nashua area on October 30 is 5:40 p.m., so the event starts in daylight and ends in early dusk. Families who come at 4:00 get most of the hike and scavenger hunt in full light. Families who come after work and school pickup will catch the last stretch as the light fades, which suits the season.
A practical note about where to park. Beaver Brook's office is in the Maple Hill Farm building at 117 Ridge Road. The Brown Lane Barn has its own entrance about 0.7 miles farther along Ridge Road. The Trunk or Treat is at Maple Hill Farm, so stop at the first address. The Maple Hill Gardens there are open daily, with gardens, a natural play area, picnic areas and a wildflower trail. Younger kids will have room to run before the candy starts.
Saturday Afternoon Belongs to the Youngest Kids
On Saturday the event moves to the town center. The Hollis Social Library and the Hollis Recreation Department hold their Trunk-or-Treat in the library parking lot at 2 Monument Square from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. The town's own notice describes it this way:
"Trunk or Treat event at the Social Library parking lot, Saturday, October 31st, 3:30pm-5pm for kids 0-6 and older siblings."
This event is built around daylight. It ends at 5:00 p.m., about 40 minutes before the 5:39 p.m. sunset. Hollis Brookline News published the library's own account of why it exists. The library calls it a well-lit way for young children to trick-or-treat without walking dark neighborhoods or crossing busy streets.
The library's event page covers the details:
- Drop-in, no registration needed
- Children must come with an adult
- Costumes are encouraged but not required
- It is separate from townwide trick-or-treat, and the library will also hand out candy during the evening hours
If you want to help, there are two ways. You can sign up to decorate a trunk, pick a theme and hand out candy. Trunk hosts should arrive by 3:00 p.m. and plan on 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. in total. They bring their own candy, and the library keeps extra on hand. You can also drop off individually wrapped candy at the circulation desk any time through October 31. Questions go to the library at 603-465-7721.
The Town Window Opens After Sunset
Townwide trick-or-treat runs from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31. The town confirmed this in its news flash posted October 8. Sunset that day is 5:39 p.m. The same page shows civil twilight ending at 6:08 p.m., so the first few minutes of trick-or-treat fall in the last of the dusk. Nearly all of the two hours happen in full dark.
That is why the weekend is split up the way it is. Friday's Beaver Brook event and Saturday's library event both start in daylight. The evening window is the only one that starts after sunset and runs almost entirely in the dark. If you have a three-year-old and a ten-year-old, you could take both to Monument Square at 3:30, get home for dinner, and send the older one back out at 6:00.
The town notice gives the hours and nothing more. It has no rain date and no instructions for specific roads. Of the three events, only Beaver Brook's is advertised as rain or shine. If Saturday's forecast turns bad, check the Town of Hollis news flash page for updates. Don't assume a backup date.
Sunday Gives Back the Hour
Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 1, 2026, when clocks go back to 1:00 a.m. A household that finishes trick-or-treat at 8:00 p.m. and sorts candy until bedtime gets an extra hour of sleep the same night.
The change also resets the clock for everything after Halloween. Through October 31, sunset stays near 5:40 p.m. Once clocks fall back, evenings get dark an hour earlier on the clock, so late-afternoon light becomes the scarce part of the day for anything held outdoors.
The First Week on Standard Time
The town calendar for early November is mostly indoors and in daytime.
- Election Day, Tuesday, November 3. Voting runs 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Hollis Brookline High School, 24 Cavalier Court. The town notes that the Town Clerk's office will be closed Wednesday, November 4, for post-election inventory.
- Household hazardous waste, Saturday, November 7. The Nashua Regional Planning Commission holds its last collection of the 2026 season from 8:00 a.m. to noon at the Nashua Park and Ride, 25 Crown Street. Hollis residents can attend. The fee is $20 per vehicle for up to 10 gallons of liquids or 20 pounds of solids, cash or check. Latex or acrylic paint, electronics and medications are not accepted. The NRPC page has the full list of what they take.
- Hollis Arts Society Art Show and Sale, November 7 and 8. The group calls this its biggest event of the year. It runs 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days at Lawrence Barn, 28 Depot Road, with work by local artists and plenty of early holiday gift options. Hollis Brookline News has the listing.
Later in the month, the third annual Hollis Elementary PTA Craft & Artisan Fair is Saturday, November 21, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Hollis Elementary School, 12 Drury Lane. The town calendar also lists a Holiday Luminaria and an HB Rotary Vendor Fair on December 12.
If you only plan one stop this weekend, choose by the hour. Beaver Brook at 4:00 on Friday gives you trails in daylight. The library lot at 3:30 on Saturday is set up for the youngest kids. And 6:00 on Saturday is when the porch lights come on.
The Morgan Moves Team is based right here in Hollis, and we'll be out this weekend along with everyone else. If Saturday night's trick-or-treaters get you wondering what your own place would sell for, we'll put the numbers together for you. Request Your Free Home Valuation.
