To trick-or-treat in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, save October candy, then on October 31 give it to Jack and your island residents in exchange for Halloween items, DIY recipes, and other rewards. Residents may also prank you if you approach without candy. You can prepare with a costume and pumpkin-themed DIY projects; no particular real-world costume is required.
What to do before Halloween
Save candy for October 31
During October, Nook’s Cranny sells one piece of candy per day, according to Play Nintendo’s Halloween guide. Buy it daily and keep it for the event instead of using it ahead of time.
Grow pumpkins for spooky DIY projects
You can buy pumpkin starts at Nook’s Cranny during October, or from Leif year-round. Play Nintendo says pumpkins take three days to grow from starts; watering them on more days can produce a larger crop. Pumpkin colors vary.
Residents and balloons can provide pumpkin-themed DIY recipes. Craft them at a DIY workbench using orange pumpkins; some finished items can then be customized with other pumpkin colors. Pumpkins are useful seasonal crafting materials, separate from the candy you save for trick-or-treating.
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- Build your community from scratch on a deserted island brimming with possibility; Create your personal getaway and customize your character, home, decorations, and even the landscape itself
- Collect materials to construct everything from furniture to tools. Then, use what you create to give your island a personal touch
- Watch as the time of day and seasons match real life—even your hemisphere. Each day holds potential for surprises and discoveries
- Get to know the island residents, garden, fish, decorate, hunt for fossils, and more.
- Show off your paradise – play on the same system with a total of 4 people, or play together online or over local wireless for fun with up to 8 players
Put together a costume
Use clothes from your closet or the tailor shop to dress up. When Kicks visits, he may offer accessories such as Impish wings, and the game also offers additional skin-tone options. The official seasonal guide presents costumes as part of the fun, not as a requirement to wear any specific outfit.
How trick-or-treating works on October 31
Jack hosts the Halloween event, and residents take part in trick-or-treating around your island. Visit the plaza and speak with Jack, then go around to residents. Give them candy to receive event rewards. The event date and candy exchanges are described in Nintendo Life’s Halloween guide.
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- Share Your Paradise - Show off your island utopia to family and friends - or pack your bags and visit theirs.
- Get Building - Experience a robust new crafting system - collect materials to construct everything from furniture to tools!
- Create Your Perfect Getaway - Craft everything from tools to creature comforts as you create and customize your island community.
- Explore Your Island - Collect bugs, decorate your paradise throughout the day, or enjoy sunset on the beach while fishing in the ocean.
- Play Together - Up to eight players can reside on an island; four residents of the same island can play together simultaneously on a single system.
- Talk to Jack. Give him candy to receive Halloween-themed items.
- Visit residents. Give candy when they ask for a treat; they can reward you with DIY recipes or lollipops.
- Return to Jack with lollipops. Nintendo Life reports that lollipops can be exchanged with him for special rewards.
If you visit a resident without candy, that resident may prank you. Keeping some candy in your pockets makes it easier to respond when residents ask for a treat.
What candy and lollipops get you
Candy and lollipops have related but distinct uses: give candy to Jack or residents, and take lollipops to Jack for additional rewards. Nintendo Life lists the following reward sequence for exchanges with Jack:
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- Take in-game photos of your designs and add them to your portfolio. Show them to other characters and you may get more requests to create vacation homes. Share the photos with other players using the in-game Showroom in the Happy Home Network app and they can tour your personally-designed resort islands or go tour theirs for some relaxation and inspiration.
- Purchase the Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise DLC from Nintendo eShop, or download and play it as part of an active Nintendo Switch Online plus Expansion Pack membership at no extra cost.
| Exchange | Reported reward |
|---|---|
| First candy given to Jack | Jack’s Face |
| Second candy given to Jack | Jack’s Robe |
| First lollipop given to Jack | Spooky Carriage |
| Second lollipop given to Jack | Spooky Carriage DIY recipe |
| Third lollipop given to Jack | Spooky Wand DIY recipe |
The same guide says residents may give candy-exchange rewards including lollipops and spooky DIY recipes. It also lists the Haunt and Scare reactions among the Halloween rewards. These reward details are reported by Nintendo Life; the exact sequence is not independently verified here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to make the most of limited candy
- Build a reserve by buying October’s daily piece at Nook’s Cranny.
- Bring candy when you visit residents so you can take part in exchanges rather than risk a prank.
- Give candy to Jack for his Halloween items; save lollipops you receive from residents for Jack’s special rewards.
- Grow pumpkins separately if you want to craft spooky furniture or customize applicable items.
Event timing and version details
Halloween takes place on October 31. A separate report gives a 5 p.m. start and midnight end, but those hours are not established by the sources linked here, so check the in-game event if you need to plan around exact times. Nintendo Support reports a software update available on April 29, 2026, but that update notice does not establish whether Halloween mechanics changed.
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