Halloween Animal Crossing: Halloween is an Autumn event that is celebrated by the villagers of the town in the Animal Crossing series. Jack, a character wearing a pumpkin on his head, appears at 6:00 PM until 1:00 AM. During this time, villagers around the town will dress up like him. The event happens in every game, excluding Wild World.
Throughout October, candy is stocked and sold in Tom Nook’s Store taking the place of either tools or flowers. There are four types of candy, but Tom Nook’s only sells orange. During the 31st when Jack appears in the town, villagers and Mayor Tortimer will wear a pumpkin head. Villagers will chase the player and demand candy, with the outcome depending on the game in question. In contrast Jack won’t chase the player and won’t forcefully speak to the player. Giving candy or lollipops (New Leaf) to Jack is the only way to obtain pieces of the Creepy Series (New Leaf) or Spooky Series (other games, though he will give this in New Leaf for candy only). After receiving an item Jack will disappear and teleport to another random square and the process repeats.
As any inventory item in the player’s pockets will be transformed regardless of value, it is recommended to store rare furniture, clothing and other items in a drawer, keep them in letters or drop them on the floor to avoid their transformation.
The usual music changes to the Halloween theme, and rain and clouds will not spawn during the event.
In GCN games
In Animal Crossing and other Gamecube games the event starts from 6:00 PM and ends at 1:00 AM. During this time villagers with pumpkin masks will be around the town and chase the player if nearby. If the player is caught they ask for candy. If given, the candy is eaten by the villager and the player is free to go. Otherwise, a random inventory item is transformed into junk items (old wall for wallpaper, patched shirt for shirts etc.) or exclusive Jack-o’-Lantern and Jack-in-the-Box items.
Tortimer, also wearing a pumpkin mask, will give the player a Katrina’s Tent Model. Jack can be spoken to as many times as the player desires, in order to receive furniture from the Spooky Series, but he will move each time he is spoken to.
In City Folk
Halloween was absent from Wild World, but returns in City Folk. Unlike the original, not all the villagers go out on Halloween night, and those who remain in their houses can be tricked by the player. To do this the player will need to wear a costume which is made up of a ‘Look’ – in GracieGrace, the witch’s hat and cloak are sold throughout September and October, which make up a ‘look’. Costumes don’t necessarily have to be spooky, as long as they meet the requirements for that villager.
As in previous games, villagers outside will bump into the player and ask for candy. If the player doesn’t have any on them, they can use other items which will then be turned into Jack-in-the-boxes. Refusing to give candy results in the player’s clothes, accessories and any other items the player has in their pockets being changed. Villagers will chase the player, however, Jack won’t, making him easy to distinguish.
Though Jack himself will not follow the player, he will walk around causing a slight confusion at first glance. Jack is easily distinguished between townsfolk by the fact that Jack will not chase the player as he walks around.
The Halloween event ends at 12 a.m.
In New Leaf
Similar to City Folk, only some villagers are out at any one time during Halloween, while the ones remaining in their homes have to be scared by wearing the mask of something they are afraid of. These masks are sold throughout October at Able Sisters for 1,031 Bells. Villagers who are outside chase the player on sight, when caught, the player is given the choice of either handing over candy or being tricked.
If the candy option is chosen, the villager will take one of the player’s candy in exchange for hints at what other villagers are scared of; if the trick option is chosen, the player has to play a game of charades or rock-paper-scissors. If won, the player receives candy, if lost a random carpet/wallpaper, furniture or clothing item (both worn and inside pockets) will be replaced with old flooring/wall, Jack-o’-Lantern/Jack-in-the-Box or patched clothing respectively. After the trick selection, villagers will occasionally give out the pumpkin mask they are wearing in place of the previous options, but only if this equivalent space on the player is not occupied. There are a total of four unique pumpkin masks to collect during the event, not including the one obtained by Jack detailed below.
Successfully scaring the villagers inside their homes rewards lollipops instead of candy. These are currency for trading exclusive Creepy Set furniture with Jack. Giving Jack candy will most often net the player pieces of the Spooky Series (which also can be purchased from Nookling Stores), though there is a slight chance the player can also receive a piece of the Creepy Set or one of the Able Sister’s Masks this way as well. If the player has no candy or any mask or hat, Jack will give the default orange pumpkin head apparel.
New Leaf masks
Image | Name | Price | Available From |
---|---|---|---|
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Bug mask | 1,031 Bells | Able Sisters (during October) |
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Ghost mask | 1,031 Bells | Able Sisters (during October) |
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Monster mask | 1,031 Bells | Able Sisters (during October) |
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Mummy mask | 1,031 Bells | Able Sisters (during October) |
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Skeleton hood | 1,031 Bells | Able Sisters (during October) |
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Werewolf hood | 1,031 Bells | Able Sisters (during October) |
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Pumpkin head | N/A | Jack (no candy without a mask or headgear on) |
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Green-pumpkin head | N/A | Villagers (losing trick without any headgear) |
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Purple-pumpkin head | N/A | Villagers (losing trick without any headgear) |
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Red-pumpkin head | N/A | Villagers (losing trick without any headgear) |
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Yellow-pumpkin head | N/A | Villagers (losing trick without any headgear) |
Animal Crossing: The Countdown to Halloween Begins
Nintendo teased a Halloween update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Here’s what it might look like, based on past titles.
Nintendo released a new Animal Crossing: New Horizons trailer on Tuesday, which teases the second summer update coming on July 30. In addition to dreaming, fireworks and save data back-ups, the trailer also revealed a super-brief teaser for perhaps the most highly-anticipated holiday for players: Halloween.
The final frame of the trailer has sparked speculation from fans over what the Halloween update may look like in New Horizons, compared to its past titles.
The Czar Of Halloween
He may not have a tragic backstory like the Able sisters, but one NPC that has graced multiple Animal Crossing games for the spooky season is Jack, a visitor wearing a pumpkin on his head. In past games, when Jack arrives on Halloween, villagers would also wear pumpkins on their heads and chase players around to demand candy.
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Players could receive pieces of the Creepy series and Spooky series by giving Jack candy, the trick being that he is hidden amongst treat-or-treating villagers also wearing pumpkin heads. Candy could be bought in Tom Nook’s store during October.
In the original Animal Crossing release, the Halloween event took place from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. If players were caught by one of their villagers chasing them down, the villagers requested candy and would only let players go when they received some.
Most players wanted to save candy to trade with Jack — but if they didn’t give their villagers treats, they would transform inventory items into junk like old wallpaper and patched shirts. After trading once with Jack, he would disappear and re-spawn in a new place.
Halloweens Of The Past
While the event was not celebrated into Wild World, Halloween made a return in City Folk with a new update. In the past, where all villagers would roam for candy during the event, now some remained in their houses to become targets for trick-or-treating.
Players purchased costumes sold in GracieGrace throughout September and October, to spook villagers in their homes. Not all costumes were particularly spooky, but as long as they made up a ‘Look’ from GracieGrace’s catalog that pleased the villager, players would receive candy.
New Leaf brought with it a few new changes to the spooktacular event. The new goal for players on Halloween night was to scare villagers. They spent October speaking to villagers to reveal what they feared, sometimes even bribing villagers with candy to find out what costume may scare another villager. On Halloween night, if players successfully scared a villager, they’d receive a lollipop. If they failed, they could play a game to win a piece of candy — but if they lost the game, the villager would turn an inventory item into a Jack-in-the-box.
Jack returned to New Leaf as the Pumpkin King. When players found him, they could exchange lollipops for pieces of the Creepy set and candy for Halloween furniture or clothing. The furniture pieces in Jack’s Spooky set all featured various takes on pumpkins and Jack O’Lanterns. There were, however, still villagers outside dressed as the Pumpkin King to deceive players.
Thrills To Come
New Horizons has multiple costumes already obtainable from the Ables Sisters tailor shop, which leaves fans wondering what else Nintendo may bring out for Halloween. Many New Horizons players have looked at event-exclusive releases from Pocket Camp for possible hints.
Pocket Camp was released in late October 2017, but did not have a Halloween event until 2018. In this event, players collected rare bats to give to Jack so he could throw a Halloween party. Completing Jack’s requests earned rewards such as clothing and furniture. Between Muffy’s Creepy Cookie set and Jack’s Halloween Hunt collection, Pocket Camp introduced loads of new spooky, cute and out-of-this-world clothing and furniture. Lollipop flowers, spooky trees, glowing Jack O’Lanterns and dark rose-themed musical instruments would be the perfect decorations for any Halloween party.
In 2019, Pocket Camp hosted Jack’s Ghoulish Gala, which had players catching creatures called hatters to give to Jack for prizes and new, spooky-themed items. The black and white spooky theme to last year’s event was elegant, fancy and gave Halloween a very high-end, designer feel.
It will be interesting to see how Halloween plays out in New Horizons this year, especially after the Bunny Day event that left players begging to never see an egg again. Most likely, Nintendo won’t release information about the Halloween update for a while, but players are definitely counting down the days until October.
Halloween is an event celebrated on October 31st from 6 PM until 1 AM the next morning. Jack—a character sporting a pumpkin on top of his head—will appear during this timeframe. The villagers outside all dress up like Jack and will chase the player around. If the player can locate the real Jack, they can trade lollipops for pieces of the Creepy Set furniture, or candy for pieces of the Spooky Series furniture. There is a slight chance that trading candy will result in receiving a piece of the Creepy Set.

How to Celebrate Halloween
Celebrating Halloween in Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the only way to obtain the Creepy Set furniture. The furniture is acquired by giving lollipops to Jack, though candy can sometimes award pieces from the set. The furniture included in the set are:
- Creepy Skeleton
- Creepy Cauldron
- Creepy Bat Stone
- Creepy Stone
- Creepy Coffin
- Creepy Crystal
- Creepy Clock
- Creepy Statue
How do you get lollipops? While candy is sold in the Nookling Store, lollipops can only be obtained by scaring the villagers that stay inside their homes for Halloween. Throughout the month of October, the Able Sisters will sell various masks that villagers may be afraid of. Entering their homes with the right mask on will frighten them, and result in them giving you lollipops instead of candy.
Spooky Furniture Pricing at Nookling Stores
Spooky Furniture
|
Buy Price
|
Sell Price
|
---|---|---|
Spooky Bed
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Bookcase
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Chair
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Clock
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Dresser
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Lamp
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Sofa
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Table
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Vanity
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Wall Lamp
|
4124
|
1031
|
Spooky Wardrobe
|
4124
|
1031
|
Candy can also be purchased at the Nookling Stores throughout the month of October in the place of either tools or flowers. While candy can be given to Jack in exchange for furniture, it can also be given to villagers outside of their homes on Halloween. These villagers will chase the player around while dressed as Jack; if they catch the player, they will demand candy. Giving candy will appease them and give the player hints about what the indoor villagers are scared of.
Players can also choose the trick option, resulting in either a game of rock-paper-scissors or a game of charades. If the player wins, they will receive candy. If the player loses, they will be tricked by the villagers; their inventory may be filled with junk items (like Old Flooring) or their clothing may be swapped with patched clothing (a shirt, pants, or shoes). If the player is not wearing a mask, they will receive the pumpkin mask that the villager is wearing. So beware of losing your clothing, and have plenty of candy on hand!

Once you have candy and lollipops, you need to locate the real Jack amongst the villagers. Jack will chase you just like everyone else, but will look noticeably different; in Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Jack is shorter than the villagers and has an orange pumpkin on his head. His pumpkin has hollowed out eyes, a circle-shaped nose, and a curved toothy smile. His dark blue robe has a lighter blue trim on the bottom, and he wears black gloves and black boots. In contrast, villagers may have their skin showing or triangle eyes on their pumpkin masks.

How to Decorate for Halloween
Aside from the Halloween event on October 31st, you can celebrate throughout the month by decorating your town! If your friends play Animal Crossing: New Leaf, try preparing your town for Halloween and inviting them over to experience it with you. After all, most people refer to Halloween as their favorite holiday of the year! Here are some objects that you can manipulate in your town:
- Flowers
- Trees
- Floor designs
- Custom-design sign
- Face cut-out standee
There are plenty of ways to use flowers to decorate for any holiday! For Halloween, red, orange, and yellow flowers will be the most fitting. In an open area of your town, try making a pumpkin out of flowers —orange for the pumpkin, black or yellow for the carved eyes and mouth, and another color for the stem. If you don’t have many hybrid colored flowers, simply use what you have on hand! Other designs you can try include skeleton heads, spiders, and more. Get creative!

You can also plant trees around your town to emit a wild or spooky atmosphere. Cedar trees (purchased on certain days from the Gardening Shop) in particular have a forest-like appearance. In Animal Crossing: New Leaf, players can sit on tree stumps; try planting a ring of trees around a stump, making sure they have enough room to grow. At night, players will have a spooky little forest to sit in the middle of.
Have you ever tried making your own designs? While outdoors, you can place designs on the ground. This makes it possible to customize your town with paths of your own design! Try making a pumpkin, skeleton or another spooky design in your design interface. You don’t have to place the design everywhere, and the design can easily be removed by pressing Y on the appropriate square. You can also place custom designs in the custom-design sign and face cut-out standee to show off your Halloween spirit! These are accessible through public works projects.
Examples of Halloween Clothing by the Able Sisters
Clothing
|
Buy Price
|
Sell Price
|
---|---|---|
Bear Cap
|
480
|
120
|
Bear Shirt
|
420
|
105
|
Big Bro’s Hat
|
320
|
80
|
Big Bro’s Tee
|
320
|
80
|
Bone Pants
|
480
|
120
|
Bone Shirt
|
280
|
|
Bunny Hood
|
1600
|
400
|
Bunny Tee
|
360
|
90
|
Cow Bone
|
480
|
120
|
Cow Pants
|
3600
|
900
|
Cow Tank
|
5800
|
|
Detective Hat
|
320
|
80
|
Detective Outfit
|
480
|
|
Giraffe Pants
|
3600
|
900
|
Giraffe Tank
|
5800
|
|
Leopard Pants
|
480
|
120
|
Leopard Tank
|
280
|
70
|
Lil Bro’s Hat
|
320
|
80
|
Lil Bro’s Tee
|
320
|
80
|
Mummy Shirt
|
180
|
45
|
Skeleton Hood
|
1031
|
|
Skull Tee
|
320
|
80
|
Tiger Pants
|
3600
|
900
|
Tiger Tank
|
5800
|
|
Zebra Pants
|
3600
|
900
|
Zebra Tank
|
5800
|
What is your favorite Animal Crossing holiday?
Check in at the Able Sisters’ clothing store to look for costumes and accessories to wear throughout October! Simple clothing items can make great costumes when paired together, like the cat dress and cat cap. Some users create their own clothing items and make them available to the public via QR codes. Talking to Mabel—the Hedgehog at the sewing machine in the Able Sister’s clothing shop—once a day for ten consecutive days will unlock the ability to make or scan QR codes. Try searching the internet for QR codes—there are some really talented artists in the Animal Crossing community!
Most importantly, have fun celebrating Halloween in your Animal Crossing: New Leaf town!
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Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Great Resources for Animal Crossing QR Codes!
- A Collection of Cute QR Codes
Tumblr blog featuring a collection of adorable QR codes, including Halloween-themed clothing. - New Leaf QR Codes
Tumblr blog dedicated to Animal Crossing: New Leaf QR codes, tagged “/clothes”. - New Leaf Fashion
Tumblr blog featuring a collection of Animal Crossing: New Leaf QR codes. most not by the blogger.