Howell Neighborhood Hosts Halloween Trick-or-Treat Events

Residents in Evansville's Howell neighborhood offer haunted houses, a haunted bus, and free treats for families on Halloween night.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Other — General

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a glowing jack-o'-lantern on a weathered porch step under a dusk-blue sky, evoking neighborhood Halloween traditions. — Families in Evansville's Howell neighborhood will trick-or-treat on Halloween night, with residents offering haunted houses, a haunted bus, and free chili and s'mores. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Families head to Evansville's Howell neighborhood on Halloween night for trick-or-treating and a range of free attractions. Residents offer haunted houses, free chili, free s'mores, and a haunted bus.

Why it matters

The Howell events are rooted in the neighborhood's history as its own railroad town, and the Violet Street Carnival is brought back each year as a reflection of a promise that was never kept. For Evansville residents, the neighborhood's traditions offer a free, community-driven way to celebrate the holiday.

Theron King has run his haunted bus for four years, and the current bus is his second, with at least 100 trick-or-treaters seen at his stop. Hawkins prepared for about 450 s'mores for the Violet Street Carnival, and final totals were not reported.

The players

Phillip Hawkins

Hawkins is a Howell neighborhood resident who helped organize the Violet Street Carnival and prepared for about 450 s'mores.

Theron King

King is a Howell neighborhood resident who has run a haunted bus for four years, now on his second bus.

The details

Visitors to the free Violet Street Carnival at 1806 Glendale Ave. receive a ticket at the start and trade it for a free s'more. The walk-through includes animatronics and a hall of mirrors, and neighbors spent about four months planning the display and about two and a half weeks setting it up.

July 1921: a traveling show was promised to Howell but never arrived.
Halloween night 2026: families visit the Howell neighborhood for trick-or-treating and events.

Legal Context

The Violet Street Carnival is brought back every Halloween as a reflection of a traveling show that was promised to Howell in July 1921 but never arrived. Phillip Hawkins says Howell was once its own railroad town, and the neighborhood's yearly events keep that history visible.

Families can visit the free Violet Street Carnival walk-through at 1806 Glendale Ave. and the Howell neighborhood's haunted houses and haunted bus on Halloween night. Visitors receive a ticket at the start of the carnival and trade it for a free s'more.

The takeaway

The Howell neighborhood's Halloween events show how a community can turn a historical disappointment into a free, recurring tradition that draws families together. Visitors planning to attend can expect free treats and attractions on Halloween night.