Trunk or Treat and Fall Festival Promo Ideas
A trunk or treat or fall festival can be one of the best community events of your church year. Families who might never come to a Sunday service will happily come for candy, hay bales and hot cider. Good promotion gets them there, and good follow-up helps them feel welcome to come back.
A simple promo timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 4 to 6 weeks out | Set the date, time, place and rain plan. Recruit trunk hosts. |
| 4 weeks out | Flyer and social post go live. Create a Facebook event. |
| 3 weeks out | Bulletin insert and pre-service slide. Ask members to share. |
| 2 weeks out | Community posting: school newsletters (if allowed), library, coffee shops, local event calendars, neighborhood groups. |
| 1 week out | Reminder post, volunteer briefing, candy check. |
| Day before | "See you tomorrow!" post with weather update. |
| Day after | Thank-you post with photos (with permission). |
What your flyer needs
Keep it simple. A busy parent should get it in five seconds.
- Event name (biggest)
- Date and time
- Address, plus parking notes
- "Free" and "all ages welcome" if true
- One or two highlights: trunks, games, chili cook-off, hayride
- Rain plan: "Indoors in the fellowship hall if it rains"
- Your church name and logo (smaller, at the bottom)
Social post ideas
- Save the date with the main graphic.
- Trunk host call: "Decorate your trunk and hand out candy! Sign up by [date]."
- Candy drive: "Help us fill the bins. Drop-off in the lobby."
- Countdown: one week, three days, tomorrow.
- Trunk sneak peek: a member's decorating in progress.
- Day-of: a live story or quick photos.
- Thank you: "What a night! Thank you to every trunk host, volunteer and family who came."
Helpful touches families notice
- Allergy-friendly options. A teal pumpkin or a separate non-food treat table helps kids with food allergies.
- Accessibility. Level paths, good lighting and a quiet area for kids who get overwhelmed.
- Clear costume guidance if you have any ("family-friendly costumes, please").
- Safety. A check-in table, a lost-child plan and volunteers in bright shirts.
Connect, without the hard sell
Most families won't fill in a long form at a candy event, and that's fine. A few gentle ideas:
- A welcome table with a small card: who you are, service times, and one upcoming family event (like a Christmas Eve family service).
- An optional raffle entry with name and email, clearly labeled ("We'll only email you about family events").
- A simple photo backdrop with your church name on it. Families share these.
- A take-home bag with the candy and a small invite card.
Fall festival extras
If you're running a bigger harvest or fall festival, consider:
- A chili or pie contest (people love bragging rights)
- A pumpkin patch or decorating station
- Live music from your worship team
- Hayrides if you have the space and insurance cover
- A food drive tie-in: "Bring a can, get a raffle ticket"
After the event
Send a short thank-you to volunteers within a few days. Share photos (with permission). If you collected emails, send one warm "thanks for coming" with your next family event. Then write down what worked, so next year is easier.
Need flyers in every size? Our Church Event Flyer PackComing soon includes fall festival and trunk or treat designs with matching slides, social posts and stories. It's coming soon; in the meantime, the free Post Library has ready trunk or treat captions.