Pumpkins, porch lights, and stories best told after dark
Halloween is a whole month of content, not one night. Scary stories, strange history, costume ideas and pumpkin everything all pick up from the first week of October, and a faceless format suits it perfectly: dark footage, a calm voice and a good twist do most of the work.
Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday 31 October 2026, so expect parties on Friday and Saturday night and plenty of scrolling on the weekend before. Below are 40 ideas for creators and small businesses, two scripts, and a plan for the month.
Updated 29 September 2026 · by Danish, who makes TallyReel
Happy Halloween from the team, and thanks for a busy OctoberMake this
Scripts you can copy
About 30 seconds each when read aloud. Paste one into TallyReel as your own script, or change the details first.
The script behind the video above
The Last Trick-or-Treater
1
Every Halloween, the last trick-or-treater knocks at exactly eleven o'clock.
2
The first year, I thought it was a kid who lost track of time.
3
Small costume, white sheet, holding out an old cloth bag.
4
I dropped in a chocolate bar. It said thank you in a very old voice.
5
The next year it came back, same sheet, same bag, same time.
6
This year I looked inside the bag. It was full of chocolate bars from decades of Halloweens.
7
The oldest wrapper was from a brand that stopped making chocolate before I was born.
Script 2
Why We Carve Pumpkins
1
The first jack-o'-lanterns were not pumpkins. They were turnips.
2
In Ireland and Scotland, people carved faces into turnips and swedes for the end of harvest.
3
Folk stories said the faces kept wandering spirits away on the darkest nights.
4
When Irish families moved to America in the 1800s, they found something easier to carve.
5
Big, hollow, orange pumpkins. The turnip never stood a chance.
6
So when you light your pumpkin this year, give a small nod to the humble turnip.
When to start posting for Halloween
Start on the first of October. Halloween interest builds all month, and a daily scary story or spooky fact for 31 days is a proven series that builds a following. Businesses selling themed treats, costumes or bookings should start in the last week of September.
Save the scariest stories for the final week, when people are actively looking for something to watch in the dark.
Late September: announce Halloween menus, costume stock and party dates.
Weeks 1 and 2 of October: history, folklore and costume ideas.
Week 3: short horror fiction, pumpkin and decor posts, booking reminders.
Final week: your best stories, last-minute costume ideas, opening hours.
31 October: a short evening post, when people are between parties.
What to post on Halloween day
Post one short, atmospheric reel in the early evening, such as a 30 second story or a porch full of glowing pumpkins. Many people are out or at parties later, so a second post the next morning (a recap or the scariest story of the month) often catches them on the way home.
Business offer ideas
A limited run works well for Halloween because the season has a hard end. Say plainly when it stops.
Themed treats or drinks for October only.
Kids' costume mini photo sessions.
Themed classes or events with a clear date.
A date-based offer such as 31 percent off on the 31st.
Treat boxes and party bundles with a collection day.
What to avoid
Label fiction as fiction, and do not present a made-up story as a real crime or a real person's experience. Avoid real tragedies as spooky entertainment. Skip costumes and jokes that mock cultures, religions or real disabilities. Keep jump scares and gore light, since platforms may limit very graphic content and many viewers scroll with children nearby. If you cover Día de los Muertos, treat it as its own respectful tradition, not a Halloween theme.
Making and scheduling it in TallyReel
Type one idea like "the last trick-or-treater" and edit the draft until the twist lands. The app finds dark stock footage for each line and adds a voiceover, captions and music on your own computer. Make a week of stories on a Sunday, then use TallyReel Post to schedule one each evening through October.
Questions
When should I start posting Halloween content?
Start at the beginning of October. Interest grows all month and peaks in the final week.
What day is Halloween 2026?
Halloween 2026 falls on Saturday 31 October 2026.
What are easy Halloween reel ideas for a small business?
Themed menu items, shop decorating time-lapses, costume days, treat boxes, and a simple date-linked offer.
Do scary story reels do well on Halloween?
They tend to, especially in the final week. Short, original stories with a clear twist are the easiest to watch to the end.