Thomasville Trick-or-Treat Event Brings 75 Business Stops to Families Friday Afternoon

THOMASVILLE, Ala. — Costumed children will have nearly 75 places to fill their candy bags Friday afternoon as the annual Thomasville trick-or-treat event, Trick or Treat Our Businesses, returns to shops, offices and restaurants across the city.

The Thomasville Chamber of Commerce hosts the event, which runs from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, the day before Halloween. Participating businesses open their doors to young trick-or-treaters, giving families a daytime alternative to walking neighborhoods after dark and giving local merchants a chance to welcome the community.

At a glance

• What: Trick or Treat Our Businesses
• When: Friday, Oct. 30, 3 to 5 p.m.
• Where: Participating businesses throughout Thomasville, including downtown, U.S. Highway 43, Thomasville Plaza and the Northchase Shopping Center
• Host: Thomasville Chamber of Commerce
• Who: Children in costume, accompanied by parents or caregivers

A citywide candy route

This year’s list stretches well beyond the downtown blocks. Stops range from banks, insurance agencies and pharmacies to fast-food restaurants, auto dealers, a hardware store and a daycare. Several public offices are taking part as well, including Thomasville City Hall, the Thomasville Police Department, the Thomasville Fire Department, the Thomasville Water Department, the Thomasville Public Library and the city’s parks and recreation department.

The participating locations are grouped in clusters, which makes it possible for families to plan a route. Downtown has the largest concentration, with 20 stops within a short walk of one another. U.S. Highway 43, the main north-south route through Thomasville, has another 16. Shopping centers such as Thomasville Plaza and Northchase Shopping Center each offer several stops in one parking lot, and a long list of additional businesses are spread around town.

With two hours to work with and dozens of locations, most families will not reach every stop. Picking one or two areas, such as downtown and one of the shopping centers, may be the most practical approach, especially for younger children.

Why a daytime business event

Business trick-or-treat events have become a common part of Halloween in small towns across Alabama. They give children a chance to trick-or-treat in daylight, in busy and familiar places, and they draw families into local stores, many of which hand out treats alongside a friendly introduction to what they do.

For Thomasville, the event also fits the chamber’s broader work promoting local commerce. The chamber recently opened nominations for its 2027 Citizen of the Year, and it helps organize community events throughout the year. The city’s calendar also includes the Hometown Celebration, a Ghost Walk built around stories from Thomasville native Kathryn Tucker Windham’s famous ghost books, the Downtown Stroll and a December Christmas parade.

About Thomasville

Thomasville sits in northeast Clarke County in southwest Alabama, along U.S. Highway 43. The city grew up in the late 1880s along the route of the Mobile and West Alabama Railroad, which linked the area to Mobile and Selma, and businesses from nearby Choctaw Corners relocated to be near the new line. The town took its name from Samuel Thomas, a former U.S. Army general who was president of the East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroad Company. Its downtown historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Tips for families

A little planning can make the afternoon smoother and safer:

• Arrive early in the window if you hope to visit many stops; popular locations may run low on treats near the end.
• Keep young children with an adult at all times, and agree on a meeting spot in case anyone gets separated in a busy area.
• Use crosswalks and watch for vehicles in parking lots, especially along U.S. Highway 43 and at the shopping centers, where drivers may not expect pedestrians.
• Choose costumes that let children see clearly and walk easily, and consider face paint instead of masks that block vision.
• Check treats at home before children eat them, and set aside anything unwrapped or homemade from an unfamiliar source.
• Thank the businesses. Their staff members are giving up part of a workday to make the event possible.

Weather should cooperate. Forecasts for southwest Alabama call for a mix of sun and clouds Friday with highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s, and most areas are expected to stay dry through the evening. Showers become more likely Saturday afternoon, on Halloween itself.

Full list of participating businesses

The following locations are scheduled to take part, according to the chamber’s list. Families may want to look for signs or decorations at the door showing that a business is participating.

Thomasville trick-or-treat stops: Downtown

• West AL Insurance
• Thomasville Chamber of Commerce
• Thomasville Water Department
• Salvation Army
• Lewis Pest Control
• U.S. Post Office
• Jackson Home Supply
• The Village & Co.
• Edward Jones
• Amedisys
• Lewis Pest Control main office
• Half Baked
• Thomasville Public Library
• First U.S. Bank
• Zeke’s Antiques
• Kingdom Grounds Coffee Shoppe
• OneMain Financial
• Thomasville Police Department
• Thomasville City Hall
• Calhoun’s Barber Shop

Tallahatta Springs Road

• The Marketplace

U.S. Highway 43

• Wesco
• Alfa Insurance
• Slayton Brothers
• Larrimore’s Automotive
• Alabama Power
• Southern Monuments
• KFC
• Regions Bank
• Family Medicine Pharmacy
• Pope’s Real Estate
• Pruitt Accounting
• Richardson’s Communications
• The Phone Depot
• SpecialTea Nutrition
• State Farm (Larry Jones)
• Hometown Furniture

Additional businesses around town

• Cricket Wireless
• M&A Smoke Shop
• Security Finance
• Advance Auto Parts
• EZN Outfitters
• Jack’s
• Jets EMS Splash Pad
• Thomasville Golf/Parks & Rec
• Lender Nation
• Huntington Bank
• Walgreens
• Thomasville Fire Department (BASHI)
• State Farm (Chris McCants)
• Dozier Hardware
• Quality Inn
• Hometown Inn
• Busy Bee’s Daycare
• The Thomasville Grill
• Zaxby’s
• Cuzz’s
• Walmart
• David’s Catfish
• Buds and Bows
• Tax Guys
• Verizon Wireless
• Joe Bullard Chevrolet GMC

Industrial Road

• Kenworth Truckworx

Thomasville Plaza

• World Finance
• Marvin’s
• Wendy’s
• Big Mike’s Steakhouse
• SmartBank
• Smokeshop & Package Store

Northchase Shopping Center

• La Veracruzana
• Mainstreet Loan Co.
• Height Finance
• Rent-A-Center
• Hibbett Sports

Questions about the event can be directed to the Thomasville Chamber of Commerce, which is itself one of the downtown stops.