Ankeny's holiday guide: trick-or-treat times, the end of Beggars' Night, and where to see the Christmas lights.

Two things trip up newcomers to Ankeny every year: the fact that kids here tell a joke before you hand over the candy, and the fact that "when is trick-or-treat" has an unusually complicated answer. Here's the plain guide to Halloween and the Christmas-lights season in Ankeny, plus the local traditions worth knowing.

When is trick-or-treating in Ankeny?

Ankeny now trick-or-treats on Halloween night, October 31, and for 2026 the window is 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, the same as 2025. For decades the Des Moines area did it differently: trick-or-treating happened on Beggars' Night, October 30, the night before Halloween, until Ankeny and most metro cities ended that tradition and moved to Halloween night starting in 2025.

Because the date and hours are set each year by the city, always confirm the current schedule with the City of Ankeny before Halloween rather than assuming. Everything else for the season, from the Uptown trunk-or-treat to the haunted houses, is in our Halloween in Ankeny 2026 guide. We also post the confirmed time each October in the weekly Ankeny Brief and on the events calendar.

Why kids tell a joke for candy

If a costumed seven-year-old stands on your porch and says "knock knock" before reaching for the bowl, you're experiencing the most charming piece of Des Moines-area Halloween. The joke-for-a-treat tradition goes back to Beggars' Night's origins in 1938, when the custom started as a way to steer Halloween energy away from vandalism. Kids once sang songs or recited poems; over the years it became telling a joke. Even now that trick-or-treating has moved to Halloween night, the joke custom lives on, and it genuinely surprises people who move here from anywhere else.

Haunted houses near Ankeny

Once the kids age out of trick-or-treating, the metro has a real haunted-house scene 15 to 30 minutes away: Linn's Haunted House and The Slaughterhouse in Des Moines, Sleepy Hollow Scream Park, Adventureland's Phantom Fall Fest in Altoona and Haunted Woods in Carlisle. This year's nights, prices and addresses are in our Halloween in Ankeny 2026 guide, along with Fright Lights in Uptown and where to find the best-decorated houses.

Want the daytime, family version instead? The Ankeny pumpkin patch guide has the corn mazes, hayrides, and apple orchards.

Where can I see holiday lights in Ankeny?

Ankeny has two standout displays of its own, Uptown Wonderlights and Gingerbread Lane, plus one of the metro's biggest, Jolly Holiday Lights, just down the road:

• Uptown Wonderlights (Ankeny, free). More than 50 displays across six blocks of SW 3rd Street and the Ankeny Market & Pavilion park. Walk it, bike it, or drive it, and it doesn't cost a thing.
• Gingerbread Lane (Ankeny, free). A neighborhood tradition on SE Richland Court where dozens of homes go all-in on light displays, typically evenings in December.
• Jolly Holiday Lights (Iowa State Fairgrounds). A nearly 30-year-old drive-through show, about $25 per car, with $1 of every ticket going to Make-A-Wish Iowa. It usually runs from late November into early January.

Dates and prices shift year to year, so confirm before you load up the car. For more cold-weather ideas, see our winter in Ankeny guide.

Where can I cut a Christmas tree near Ankeny?

Central Iowa has a few choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms within a short drive of Ankeny. They hand you the saw; you handle the debate over which one is "the one." Most run weekends from just after Thanksgiving into mid-December, and some let you tag a tree earlier in the fall. Call ahead or check current hours, because a good farm sells out of the big trees fast.

THE Christmas Tree Farm (near Maxwell, northeast of Ankeny) lets you tag a tree in the fall and come back to cut it after Thanksgiving, with snacks and drinks on site. Howell's Tree Farm (Cumming, about 20 minutes southwest of Des Moines) has 50 acres and thousands of evergreens, from the same family barn you may know from fall. Deal's Orchard (Jefferson) does cut-your-own or pre-cut trees with an Apple Barn, Santa's sleigh, and hot cider.

Prefer pre-cut and easy? Local lots and garden stores stock trees through December too.

The rest of the Ankeny calendar

Halloween and the holidays are the headliners, but the town keeps a full calendar year-round: SummerFest and the fireworks in July, the farmers market from spring to fall, and more. See the full Ankeny events calendar, our guide to Fourth of July fireworks, and things to do in Ankeny any time of year.

Ankeny holidays FAQ

When is trick-or-treating in Ankeny?

Ankeny moved trick-or-treating to Halloween itself (Oct. 31) starting in 2025, ending Beggars' Night. For 2026, the City of Ankeny calendar lists trick-or-treat hours of 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, the same window as 2025. The District at Prairie Trail also hosts Trick or Treat in The District on Friday, October 30, 4 to 7 p.m.

What is Beggars' Night?

The old Des Moines-area custom of trick-or-treating on Oct. 30, the night before Halloween, with kids telling a joke for candy. It dates to 1938 and was retired in favor of Halloween night in 2025.

Do kids really tell a joke for candy?

Yes. It's the signature local tradition, and many Ankeny kids still do it even after the date change.

Where are the best Christmas lights in Ankeny?

Uptown Wonderlights on SW 3rd Street and Gingerbread Lane on SE Richland Court, both free, plus Jolly Holiday Lights at the Iowa State Fairgrounds nearby.

How much is Jolly Holiday Lights?

About $25 per car in recent years, with $1 of each ticket benefiting Make-A-Wish Iowa. Confirm the current price and dates before visiting.