Trick-or-treaters on Hillcrest Avenue will need free tickets for Halloween night

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The annual Hillcrest on Halloween tradition in Louisville will now be a free ticketed event for trick-or-treaters.

Organizers of the spooky street posted on Facebook on Thursday with new information for the 2025 spectacle.

Most homes are fully decorated by mid-October by homeowners who pay for all the candy and decorations. Visitors are welcome any day of the week in October, but people are asked to visit before 9 p.m. to ensure lights are on in yards. Decorations usually come down the day after Halloween.

Free tickets on Halloween night

On Halloween, everyone must enter Hillcrest Avenue from either Brownsboro Road or Frankfort Avenue. The free ticket will be handed out at those two intersections.

Louisville Metro Police officers will be stationed at those intersections, and officers will be patrolling the entire area.

Trick-or-treat is only on Halloween from 5-9 p.m. Rain or shine.

There are no public restrooms. Neighbors remind visitors that this is a family celebration, so no alcohol, drugs or weapons are allowed. No vendors are permitted.

"Please be respectful of the properties when visiting," organizers said in the Facebook post. "The homeowners work hard using their own time and money to decorate for the community. We love Halloween and want it to be an enjoyable and safe experience for everyone so the tradition can continue for many years to come."

Parking info

Hillcrest Avenue will be closed to traffic and parking on Halloween for safety. On Halloween, and other days, parking is available on the side streets. Visitors are asked not to block driveways, alleys or the railroad tracks.

On Halloween, there is a lot of vehicle and foot traffic, so visitors are being reminded that they may have to park several blocks away.

During the season, drivers are also being reminded that Hillcrest is a busy corridor, and it's not safe to stop in the middle of the street to look at the decorations.

History of Halloween on Hillcrest

The Hillcrest Avenue Halloween spectacle began as a competition between neighbors in the 1980s. Now, more than 50 homes participate with over-the-top Halloween-inspired decorations, and more than 75,000 typically visit the street over the course of October.