With one very famous former resident — yes, Steve Jobs’ house is here — Old Palo Alto is Halloween gold. Children walk away with candy bags heavier than a MacBook, while millionaire parents try to outdo each other with scare actors and blown up projected images on houses. It’s the one night the neighborhood’s best PTA mom competition works in kids’ favor: who can serve five-star treats and Michelin-level pumpkin carving?

Barron Park feels like Palo Alto’s countryside — if the countryside had Teslas and trick-or-treaters in astronaut suits. It’s a tight-knit, family- heavy neighborhood where every other house has kids darting between driveways. Parents chat over cider while toddlers wobble in pumpkin costumes. There’s also the bonus: Bol Park’s famous donkeys join the fun.

Tucked near Paly, Southgate is small but sweet. The cozy grid of tree-lined streets makes for efficient candy collection,  perfect for strategic younger kids or lazy teens in onesies. Retired grandparents and really little kids will be found handing out a variety of treats. It’s the kind of Halloween that feels homegrown — nostalgic, safe and exactly the right  mount of chaotic.