Every neighborhood has that house on Halloween. You know the one. The front yard looks like a haunted cemetery, the decorations are so elaborate they could rival a Hollywood movie set, and the homeowners hand out full-size candy bars instead of those tiny bite-size disappointments.
Then there are the neighborhoods where practically every house gets into the Halloween spirit. The lawns are covered in battling skeletons, jack-o’-lanterns light up the sidewalks, and trick-or-treaters come from miles around to fill their buckets with candy.
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If you live on one of those streets, you may want to pay attention. Because Reese’s is looking for the ultimate Halloween neighborhood, and it’s recruited some familiar faces from a couple of beloved spooky movies to help settle the score.
The candy brand has launched a nationwide search for America’s “Trick-or-Treatiest Street,” and the winning neighborhood will receive a Halloween celebration worthy of its title. But with 150 streets already in the running, choosing just one will take some serious Halloween expertise.
Reese’s Assembles a Star-Studded Halloween Council
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Who better to judge America’s Halloween spirit than Wednesday Addams and one of the Sanderson sisters?
Christina Ricci, who famously played Wednesday in The Addams Family movie franchise, and Kathy Najimy, who portrayed Mary Sanderson in Disney’s Hocus Pocus movies, are joining forces as members of Reese’s first-ever Halloween Council.
They’re joined by content creators Rachel Iwanyszyn, Zaire Alford and Macy Blackwell, who will help evaluate the contenders and determine which neighborhood deserves Halloween’s ultimate bragging rights.
And according to Ricci, it’s about more than having the biggest decorations or the most expensive Halloween displays. “The best Halloween streets aren’t just the ones that decorate or have the biggest budgets,” Ricci said in a statement from Reese’s.
Instead, Ricci says it’s about creating an atmosphere that keeps trick-or-treaters coming back year after year and brings the entire community together.
Najimy agrees, saying she especially appreciates neighborhoods where the adults get just as excited about Halloween as the kids.
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How Reese’s Is Choosing America’s Best Trick-or-Treating Street
Before calling in its Halloween experts, Reese’s did a little investigating of its own.
The company analyzed candy and costume purchasing trends, Halloween decorations, neighborhood walkability and community participation to identify 150 streets across the country that take trick-or-treating seriously.
The research also included a survey of 15,000 Americans, helping the brand identify neighborhoods where Halloween is more than just another date on the calendar. Now, the Halloween Council will examine the contenders and determine which street deserves the crown.
And the prize? It’s pretty sweet.
The winning street, announced Oct. 21, will receive a Reese’s-sponsored Halloween block party in partnership with Zillow. The celebration will feature plenty of Reese’s Halloween favorites, including Reese’s Pumpkins and classic Peanut Butter Cups, along with a special trick-or-treating experience.
Want to know whether your neighborhood made the cut? Explore the full list of 150 streets on Reese’s website. And even if your street doesn’t take home the title, there’s still plenty of time to hang a few more cobwebs, carve another pumpkin and stock up on peanut butter cups.
After all, Halloween isn’t really about winning. But getting a neighborhood full of free Reese’s candy certainly wouldn’t hurt.
Related: Midwesterners Have Spoken—and This Halloween Candy Rules the Bowl