🎃 A one-stop guide to trick-or-treating in Rhode Island

Dan Goodman/AP File Photo

Happy Halloween!

There are a lot of serious issues happening all over the world, but today is the one day when it’s perfectly acceptable to let your hair down, dress up like a Ninja Turtle, and fill a pillow sack with a year’s worth of candy from total strangers.

To start your day, I highly recommend my colleague Devra First’s annual review of the best and worst candies. She’s dead wrong (who the heck wants Smarties?), but it’s still a fun read.

And if you’re looking for some of the best trick-or-treat neighborhoods in Rhode Island, here are some of the suggestions Rhode Map readers have sent in over the past couple of years.

Elmhurst in Providence: Well-lit streets, accessible sidewalks, lots of neighbors getting into the spirit. We get 100s of trick-or-treaters each year. – Carly Bourne

McGowan note: If you travel farther down Mount Pleasant Avenue, the rumor is they give out plenty of Ring Pops.

Greenwood in Warwick: The Greenwood section of Warwick takes Halloween very seriously. The geography helps: a grid-style street pattern with plenty of homes to hit, and many local police, fire, and teachers as residents, make it a perfect storm for Halloween. – Steve Hayes

Riverside in East Providence: There is an absolutely fabulous Halloween display on Oak Avenue in Riverside, and we are still a small village where people know each other and love children. – Carole Marshall

All of Exeter: Exeter streets are the best for trick-or-treating. Dads drive their kids from house to house on tractors and riding lawn mowers. – Mary Zych

Cumberland Hill in Cumberland: We get tons of trick-or-treaters. People park at the nearby shopping plaza and go from street to street. We usually get upwards of 300 visitors – David Heath

Greenville in Smithfield: Around Crestview and Mayfield streets, it’s a well-lit, walkable neighborhood (a large circle) with freshly-paved streets. Neighbors give out king-size candy bars to teens, freshly popped popcorn, and even Jell-O shots and wine cups for parents. One neighbor even puts out a giant outdoor movie screen for kids/families to bring blankets and watch an outdoor Halloween movie. – Kristin Cassarino

This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.