Brookline's Beals Street vies for top trick-or-treating honor

Brookline's Beals Street is in the running for America's best trick-or-treating block, ahead of the compact Victorian-lined strip's annual Halloween night celebration on Oct. 31.

Reese's named Beals Street one of 150 nominees nationwide for its "Trick-or-Treatiest Street in America" contest, MassLive reported. The Brookline block earned a Haul Score of 97.9 and a Haunt Score of 95, the highest haunt score among the three Massachusetts streets nominated.

Reese's described the stretch between Harvard and Gibbs streets as a place where trick-or-treaters can expect decorated homes, creative costumes and candy at nearly every door. The company selected its 150 nominees by analyzing candy, costume and Halloween décor purchasing behavior, walkability, local reputation and a survey of 15,000 residents.

The winner will be announced Oct. 21 by the Reese's Halloween Council. The winning street receives a Halloween block party in partnership with Zillow, featuring seasonal treats and a trick-or-treating experience.

Beals Street's own celebration is already a fixture.

Brookline Interactive Group, the nonprofit community media hub, released a video feature describing how the street closes each year for what it calls a Halloween extravaganza. The video features costumed dinosaurs and other creatures explaining what makes the night special.

The Friends of the JFK Birthplace lists "Halloween on Beals Street" on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 4–8 p.m. at the JFK Birthplace, 83 Beals St. The John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site, located at the same address, closes for the 2026 season on Friday, Oct. 30, according to the National Park Service. Whether the NPS site itself participates in Halloween activities or the Friends group operates independently that evening is unclear.

MommyPoppins ranks Beals Street and Coolidge Corner as the best walkable trick-or-treating destination in the Boston area, citing the street's Victorian homes and its location near Coolidge Corner.

Melissa Blette, Reese's senior brand manager, said in a press release that the contest highlights "… the traditions people return to every year and the neighbors who bring entire streets to life …"

Those planning to trick-or-treat on Beals Street should mark Saturday, Oct. 31, starting at 4 p.m.