Beggars’ Night in Des Moines, suburbs postponed due to expected rain

On By Littum

Most trick-or-treaters in the Des Moines metro area will have to wait another day to get their candy.

The city of Des Moines started a trend by moving Beggars’ Night from Wednesday to Thursday due to expected rain.

Beggars’ Night for Des Moines residents will instead be held from 6-8 p.m. on Halloween night “to provide a safe and festive trick-or-treating experience for Des Moines’ children and families,” said a news release sent Tuesday morning.

Most other metro communities joined the plans with announcements rolling in Tuesday.

More: Here’s when Beggars’ Night festivities are happening around the Des Moines metro area:

What is the weather forecast for Wednesday in Des Moines?

Wednesday will have a high of 75 degrees and a low of 44. Rain is expected to start Tuesday night and continue through Wednesday. Wednesday night has a 100% chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service.

Some strong to severe thunderstorms are possible Wednesday afternoon and evening with the highest threat in parts of southern Iowa, the NWS forecast said. Des Moines has a “marginal risk” for severe weather, including damaging winds and the possibility of a tornado.

Halloween Thursday will be mostly sunny with a high of 53 and a low of 34 degrees with clear skies.

Are other Central Iowa cities moving Beggars’ Night?

Most other cities have followed suit and will move Beggars’ Night trick-or-treating to Thursday, October 31 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM due to the weather forecast in the metro area.

These cities include:

  • Ankeny
  • Altoona
  • Clive
  • Indianola
  • Johnston
  • Norwalk
  • Urbandale
  • Waukee
  • West Des Moines

game

How do locals celebrate Des Moines Beggars’ Night?

Des Moines Register staff explain exactly what Beggars’ Night is and share the Des Moines tradition.

Pleasant Hill makes a late decision to change Beggars’ Night

Officials in Pleasant Hill initially said the city could not reschedule trick-or-treating. In a post, officials said the trick-or-treating date is set by a city council resolution. Open meeting laws require the city to give the public 24 hours notice before a council meeting, meaning it’s too close to the date to call a meeting to make a change.

“Also, the date has never been changed before,” the post continued. “Many plan their calendars and additional holiday activities around Beggars Night, which takes place on October 30.”

The city announced late Tuesday that it found a legal way to change and would postpone until Thursday.

What is Beggars’ Night?

Trick-or-treating dates and times across the metro are traditionally held on Beggars’ Night, in the evening hours of October 30, the night before Halloween.

The tradition started about 80 years ago to curb the violence and vandalism that had become an annual problem on Halloween night in Des Moines.

As part of the tradition, children must tell a joke to grab a treat.

Bondurant and Windsor Heights recently broke from tradition and held trick-or-treating the Saturday before Halloween instead.

Victoria Reyna-Rodriguez is a general assignment reporter for the Registry. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @VictoriaReynaR.