Princeton's Pumpkin BooLooza is Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 5–8 p.m. at J.M. Caldwell Sr. Community Park, 500 W. College Avenue. The city lists free admission and parking. Bag rules, parking approaches and costume-contest registration are worth sorting out before the family heads out. Official event details
Admission, activities and separate purchases
The announced activities include trunk-or-treating with Princeton ISD, a DJ, costume contests, a petting zoo and strolling characters. Food vendors are listed separately. Free entry and parking do not establish free food or merchandise, and we have not verified individual vendor prices or payment methods.
Choose the activities your children care about most and agree on a meeting point. This guide adds the organizer's detailed entry and parking information to our wider weekend roundup; it is not a second event or an independent site inspection.
Pack a bag the city allows
The linked clear-bag policy includes these published limits:
Bag type | Published limit |
|---|---|
Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC tote | No larger than 12 × 6 × 12 inches |
Clear resealable storage bag | One gallon |
Small clutch | No larger than 4.5 × 6.5 inches |
Diaper bag | No larger than 12 × 6 × 12 inches |
The event page specifically allows non-clear trick-or-treat bags for candy, provided they are empty on arrival. Keep that event-specific permission separate from the general prohibition on non-clear bags.
The policy permits strollers and describes medical/special-needs exceptions; ask the organizer about your exact needs. Bags are subject to inspection, and bags outside the rules may need to go back to the vehicle. Do not assume a regular backpack qualifies because it contains children's supplies.
Check the correct parking entrance and exit
The city's event instructions direct visitors approaching from US 380 to the north parking entrance and those coming from College Avenue to the south entrance. The middle entrance is listed closed. It also says there will be no access to turn right onto College Avenue from Beauchamp Boulevard.
For departure, the page describes overflow traffic exiting toward Monte Carlo and main-lot traffic exiting south, then left onto Beauchamp. Follow current signs and staff instructions if conditions change. We have not verified a live queue, overflow-space count, shuttle or guaranteed accessible parking availability. Organizer's parking plan
Costume-contest timing and pets
Contest signups are listed 5–6:30 p.m. at the costume-contest booth, with winners announced at 7 p.m. by the DJ booth. Published categories are best family costume for all ages and most creative costume for ages 3–14. Arriving near closing time would miss registration, even though the wider event continues until 8 p.m.
The city strongly encourages leaving pets home because of crowds, loud music and activity. That guidance does not resolve every service-animal accommodation question; use the organizer for an individual accessibility request.
Recheck before leaving, y'all
Official event and bag-policy pages were checked October 16, 2026, with no cancellation visible at that check. Weather, staffing and traffic conditions can change. The Princeton kids guide offers other local outings, while the live weekend calendar filters current verified picks. Neither substitutes for the organizer's latest event notice.