Frequently asked questions

Trick-or-Treat for Charity is an American-style Halloween walk in Prague where children collect treats and give at the same time. At every stop each child drops at least CZK 10 into a collection box of SOS Children’s Villages and gets a small treat as a thank-you. The kids are not buying sweets – they are thanked for helping other children. The 10th annual walk takes place on Thursday 22 October 2026, 4–8 pm.

Trick-or-Treat for Charity moved earlier than 31 October because many Prague families leave the city for the autumn school break and on Friday afternoons. The organisers did not want anyone to miss out because of a well-earned holiday.

Each group of trick-or-treaters fills in its own registration form. Registration is free; you only bring coins for the collection boxes – at least CZK 10 per child at every stop you visit. The deadline is 19 October 2026, but please register as early as you can so the hosts can prepare enough treats.

The secret map is emailed to the address from your registration form on Monday 19 October 2026 by midnight. Check your spam folder too. The link opens an online map with Halloween icons; tap an icon to see a photo of the door, the address and the hours when a volunteer will be there. Details can change until the day of the event.

Bring a costume (scary, funny, anything goes), a bucket or basket for treats and a bag of coins. Every child gives at least CZK 10 at each stop – two CZK 5 coins, half of a CZK 20 coin, any combination works. There is no card or QR payment on purpose: kids love dropping coins into the boxes. If you can, bring a few extra sweets to top up a stop that runs low.

Younger children (4–8 years) usually manage about ten stops or two hours of walking. You can start and finish any time between 4 and 8 pm, and most stops are not open for the whole four hours, so plan your route on the map. Bring plenty of coins – some families had to end early when they ran out. The central SOS stand on Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad changes banknotes in an emergency.

The heart of the walk is Prague 2 Vinohrady, Prague 3 Žižkov and Prague 10 Vršovice, with the central SOS Children’s Villages stand on Náměstí Jiřího z Poděbrad and hosts in Sady Svatopluka Čecha park. In 2026 there are also stops in Prague 5 Hlubočepy–Barrandov, Prague 7 Holešovice and Prague 15. Stops close together in the centre can have queues; hosts further out are just as happy to see you.

In 2025 there were 92 stops, more than 1,100 registrations and around 2,000 children and parents walked the streets despite the rain. Together they raised almost CZK 300,000 for SOS Children’s Villages. Numbers for 2026 are known only at the last minute.

No. The event was started by an international group and many hosts speak English, but there are plenty of Czech hosts too. Children of any age and any language are welcome.

All coins collected in the boxes go to SOS Children’s Villages (SOS dětské vesničky), the oldest Czech non-profit focused on children, active for almost 60 years. The money pays for camps, trips, therapies and other essentials for children who cannot grow up with their parents.

Treats are packaged sweets that keep, so children can take their haul home and eat a little at a time. Fruit and vegetables cannot be handed out because of hygiene rules. If you prefer a sugar-free Halloween, visit hosts that offer activities such as face painting, workshops or games.

In 2025 a pumpkin marked a business host, a pumpkin with a spider a business with a special offer, a ghost a host at home, a ghost with a red hat a special children’s activity and a tree a host in the park. The 2026 legend comes with the map. Tip: hide your own saved places in the map app and use the daylight map style so the icons stand out.

Fill in the host and helper form. You can host from your business, your home or in Sady Svatopluka Čecha park; wear at least part of a costume, decorate your spot and have at least 100 sweets ready. Most hosts are in Vinohrady, Žižkov and Vršovice; in 2026 you can also host in Hlubočepy–Barrandov, Holešovice or Prague 15. Schools and companies elsewhere can arrange their own Halloween week by email.

Dinah Spritzer-Richter and a few friends organised the first American Halloween in Prague for her two children in 2017, and it has supported SOS Children’s Villages from the very first year. Today it is run by volunteers in their spare time.