The last couple of years has been different around out neighborhood…most of the kids that we know are grown as the new generation moves in. Oddly, none of the newer little ones seem to play outside so I have no solid idea of who will ring our doorbell. Not sure what or how much I should actually buy in terms of candy . I do try to buy candy I don’t like , so no Reese’s or Nestle crunch 
I spent my early teen years in a 33 story apartment building. Halloween was amazing. You’d start on the top floor and work your way down. When your bag got too heavy, you’d go home and drop it off and start back out again. When I had kids, we lived in a house and you had to walk around and around. It was and is horrible. I solved the schlepping problem by taking the Radio Flyer along when the kids were little.
My neighborhood is in transition. When I first moved here 20 years ago, families with young kids were the norm and there were tons of trick or treaters. I always bought the big bags of candy at Costco. Then, a neighbor began a block party that ran for about 5 years and attracted kids from all over town. It was great but I had to triple the amount of candy I bought and more. After that, it went into a decline and we had very few kids for some years. My own kids went to another neighborhood across town.
Now, we are getting little kids again in the neighborhood, which I take as a sign that it’s time to move, but we bought two big bags of Costco candy. H insists that it must all be chocolate, because, of course, EVERYONE loves chocolate (I don’t). It’s good because I am not as tempted to eat the stuff. I also buy things like Reese’s peanut butter cups because I despise PB.
For me, my absolute favorite Halloween candy is candy corn, which I eat year round. One year, I found candy corn in little individual bags with about a dozen pieces each and gave those out. I never found that again and it’s now verboten to hand out unwrapped candies, so the kids don’t get candy corn, just me.
My D is living in Brooklyn now and is throwing herself a giant Halloween/birthday party. She bought 2 big bags of Costco candy for the local kids and has decorated her apartment windows and the outside stoop; she rents part of a house.
My wife bought a 5.6 lb bag of candies (probably from Costco) yesterday. It’s an assortment of m&m, Snickers, Reese’s, Milkyway, KitKat, Almond Joy, Hershey’s, 100 Grand, Twix, York,… It will be a tough job for me because I don’t know which kind of candies I should pick for each kid. Not many kids will come to our house. The kids in the neighborhood have grown up and flown away.
When I was a young trick or treater, there were some strange candies that you only saw on Halloween. Charleston chews? Mary Janes? Where did they even come from? Candy cigarettes? Wax lips? And those filling removers - Sugar Daddies! I hated all those.
And ugh, there were wax bottles filled with sugary syrup.
We buy 4 boxes of full size Hershey bars from Costco and they are always a big hit. After we give out all 144 bars, I lock the door and turn out the light 
We don’t get trick or treaters here, in our old neighborhood hubby handed out full size bars. I like the classics, reese’s, milky way, m & m’s. Always disliked the popcorn balls, mary janes and the dreaded apples.
I suppose I am grown up, I remember Halloween being the only time of year I ever had candy, I assumed when I grew up I’d eat it all the time, and as much as I wanted.
@greenwitch All of those candies that you hated are now being sold in candy stores that sell “vintage” candy. They might not be the best candies of all time, but a lot of people buy them for sentimental reasons. I actually like the flavor of the candy cigarettes.
A few years ago, I sent my nephews a bunch of those candies as a Christmas present - even included some of the yuckier ones. They really enjoyed the gift, and had a good time taste testing them all. I think I’ll do that again this year!
Crispy M&M’s and Snickers Crispers were popular with the kids last year. We opened up the bag of Hershey’s Cookies & Cream yesterday. Now we’ll have to buy another bag for Halloween.
Do any of you dress up for Halloween and get into costume as you give out the candy? As your own kids have grown do you go out and celebrate?
One year, when I was at a DC conference, several CC-age women and I went with a young male med student dancing and clubbing on Halloween. Another year, we caught BART in Oakland CA on Halloween. Both were fascinating experiences and fun seeing costumes. The other year we went to nearby shopping mall where they were giving out treats and having costume contest.
I haven’t dressed up for a Halloween since college. Will be in DC this year so not dressing up this year either.
@himom I know college students that go to the Embassy’s in DC for trick or treating.
Hmmm, we will be at Crystal City, so I don’t think that will be very near the embassies. Oh well, Crystal City may be interesting as well.
Goldenberg’s Peanut Chews, $100,000 Bar, Take Five, Kit Kats. I don’t think they make mini Zero bars, but if they did, that would be in the mix too.
I like Mounds bars, but I think we need to buy something this year we won’t eat, like Skittles.
I like candy corn, but I’m surprised to hear it has sugar in it. I always assumed it was made out of wax.
We give out full size Reese’s, Snickers, Kit Kats, Milky Ways and M&Ms. My favorite to eat? Reese’s all the way!
A few favorite chocolate based favs: Kit Kat, Twix, 100 Grand, Almond Joy.
But I’ll also put a seasonal plug in for the caramel apple suckers. I’m not a sucker person otherwise but the flavor of these are pretty satisfying!
I will buy lots of chocolate, a bag or two of the suckers and then I usually buy one not candy related thing especially for the under age 2 crowd - like mini bags of goldfish. Sometimes I do the little bags of fruit snacks too - 80 at Costco for $7-8 I think!
When I knew more of the parents I also offered up styrofoam cups of hot cider to them.
I don’t know why I keep checking in on this thread. Y’all are making me want chocolate–right now. @abasket, did you HAVE to mention Almond Joy? 
We used to host Halloween in our driveway. Five of our neighbor houses would gather in a half circle of lawn chairs around a chiminea and make it easy for the kids to hit five houses at once. We also always had a keg of beer for the adults. We got a lot of repeat visits. We will be going back up to the old 'hood this year, but the neighbor who has taken over does not do the keg. We’re thinking we’ll spring for it this year just for old times sake.
(Must.stop.thinking.about.Almond.Joys.)
I just went to Costco and got the variety pack of full sized bars. Last year I bought bags of stuff that I returned. We used to have kids in the neighborhood who would invite large groups of outside friends and past years where we had upward of 100 kids but the last few we’ve had less than 25.
@raclut We don’t dress up and don’t go out to celebrate as adults. I really enjoy seeing the children in costume and talking to my neighbors, but I’m no longer into it for myself.
We are not in an easy neighborhood for trick or treating because the houses are far apart and it’s hilly. I like to give big treats to the kids who make the effort to come down our street. I usually get a wide variety of the movie theater boxed candy - M&M’s, Junior Mints, Swedish Fish, Reese’s Pieces, etc. Sour Patch Kids are always a big hit.
I’m so excited that this year I will be at our Florida home for the first time on Halloween. There are lots of kids there so it will be fun to give out loads of candy.
I love when people get excited about the simple tradition of trick or treat.