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Orangeville Hallowe’en Haunt Patrol gears up for seventh year

September 17, 2026   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

The Orangeville Hallowe’en Haunt Patrol (OHHP) is back for its seventh year, with organizer Michelle Hartley announcing that “the list” of decorated homes entered in the annual contest officially began on Sept. 15.

The contest is run through the event’s Facebook page, which has now grown to over 2,600 followers.

What started in 2020 as Hartley’s way of enjoying Hallowe’en from the car with her young child during COVID-19 lockdowns has grown into a popular event among enthusiasts.

She says families regularly tell her the event has become their own annual tradition, often starting with dinner out in town before a drive or walk through the displays.

The Top 10 homes and yard displays will be selected on Friday, Oct. 23, between 7 and 10 p.m., with the list posted to the OHHP Facebook page by approximately 11 p.m. Those Top 10 properties will then be judged the following night, Saturday, Oct. 24, between 7 and 10 p.m., with winners announced on Facebook by around midnight.

Anyone in the community can sign up to judge by emailing Hartley at hartley.michelle@yahoo.com.

There is no cap on the number of judges. Judges wear a necklace identifying their role and get access to live-actor performances at homes that offer them.

The Top 10 homeowners will also be asked to host a “daylight fright” viewing on judging day, Oct. 24, from 2 to 4 p.m., aimed at younger children and visitors with accessibility limitations.

Homes are scored across 10 categories: creativity, personal workmanship, sound, lights, special effects, attention to detail, animation or live action, storyline or theme, arrangement and display placement, and overall presentation.

For the second year, Hartley plans to share completed scoresheets with the Top 10 homeowners so they can see their strongest and weakest-scoring areas, with sheets expected to be posted to Facebook around Oct. 16.

Only decorated yards qualify for the list; decorated porches alone do not. However, OHHP has expanded eligibility to include displays that aren’t visible from the road, such as decorated carports or garage interiors — a shift from the event’s original car-viewing-only format introduced during COVID.

Continuing a new rule introduced this year, past first-place winners won’t appear in the following year’s Top 10 list but will instead be featured as bonus displays.

Last year’s winner, 118 Church St., will be listed as stop No. 11 this year. Similarly, 4/6 Henderson St., the 2024 winner, didn’t participate in 2025 and will also be listed as a bonus display rather than returning to the Top 10 — though Hartley said both addresses are expected to be back in full competition in 2027.

For the second year, OHHP will collect donations for the Orangeville Food Bank at the Top 10 homes. Last year’s drive brought in $92.35 in cash and 229 pounds of food; Hartley said OHHP is hoping to double those totals this year, citing greater need in the community.

Hartley estimated that between 2,000 and 2,500 people turned out for the Top 10 judging night in 2025 and said organizers expect a similar turnout this year.

She also thanked the Orangeville/Dufferin OPP for monitoring traffic at busy intersections during the Top 10 and judging nights, saying she notifies police of the featured addresses in advance each year.

Hartley runs OHHP on a volunteer basis and pays her own costs, and says she has no plans to pursue corporate sponsorship for larger cash prizes.

“The fun is in the fun – bragging rights and a few small great prizes is all the recognition I ever will aim to supply and share,” she said.

OHHP had a booth for the third consecutive year at the Orangeville Fall Fair at the Agricultural Centre on Sept. 5 and 6, this year with a “Carn-evil” theme.

Home Depot donated a flex spider decoration as a prize, and the Lynbrook Family Golf Centre donated mini-golf passes for kids who took part in a skull toss game.

Hartley said the event continues to draw visitors from outside Dufferin County, including Newmarket, Alliston, Guelph, Arthur, Shelburne, Dundalk, Brampton and Mississauga.

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