Indian Trail Parks & Recreation is calling on local businesses, nonprofits, and community groups to sign up as vendors for the town's annual Spooktacular Trunk or Treat, a free Halloween event expected to draw more than 5,000 attendees to Chestnut Square Park on Friday, October 23, from 6 to 9 p.m.
The call for vendors went out in a Town of Indian Trail, NC - Government Facebook post Tuesday, which lays out the ground rules for anyone hoping to decorate a trunk and pass out candy. Vendor setup begins at 4 p.m., and participants are limited to decorating within their own vehicle and parking space — no tents, tables, or sprawl beyond that footprint. The town is not assigning specific vendor spots, but any vendors arriving together must park together, and nobody can leave early once the event is underway.
The event unfolds at Chestnut Square Park, a 38-acre town facility at 320 Chestnut Parkway that also includes an artificial turf field, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts, a walking loop, and picnic shelters. The park sits near the Sun Valley commercial corridor along U.S. Highway 74, roughly 15 miles southeast of Uptown Charlotte and 3.7 miles from Interstate 485, according to The Moser Group.
Strict Rules Govern What Vendors Can and Cannot Do
Vendors are asked to bring plenty of candy given the more-than-5,000 trick-or-treaters expected, and any decorations or giveaways must be family-friendly. Pamphlets and flyers are allowed at vendor spaces, but the town's post is explicit about what's off-limits: no direct sales, no order-taking, and no fundraising of any kind. No electricity will be provided on-site, so vendors relying on lighting or sound equipment need to plan accordingly.
Those restrictions line up with the town's broader municipal event framework, which governs commercial activity at public parks. Town of Indian Trail policy requires commercial vendors and concessionaires at park events to carry at least $1,000,000 in commercial general liability insurance, name the town as an additional insured, and undergo criminal background checks at their own expense if requested. Smoking, vaping, and alcohol consumption remain banned across all town property, a rule the Facebook post reiterates specifically for the trunk-or-treat.
Anyone who accidentally registers twice will receive a credit or refund rather than being charged twice, per the post. Vendor registration is open now through the town's online portal, and questions or status checks can be directed to [email protected]. Nick, identified as the event coordinator, can also be reached directly at 704-821-8114.
An Established Tradition Grows With the Town
This isn't a new event — Indian Trail Parks and Recreation held its previous Halloween Spooktacular at Chestnut Square Park in October 2024, also running 6 to 9 p.m. with the same vehicle setup rules, suggesting the town has settled into a consistent annual format for the gathering. Local businesses have used the format before to build community goodwill rather than chase sales; Pleasant Plains Dental has previously sponsored the event by decorating vehicles and handing out treats directly to neighborhood kids.
The scale of the event — and the town's need for a no-sales, background-checked vendor system to manage it — reflects Indian Trail's rapid growth. The town's population has expanded to somewhere between 43,800 and 45,200 residents by 2026, up from 39,997 in the 2020 Census and just 1,942 in 1990, making it Union County's largest municipality. Hoodline has previously examined that growth alongside the town's expanding calendar of free public events.
Chestnut Square Park itself is in the middle of a $7.2 million renovation, after the Indian Trail Town Council approved Phase 2B site grading in June 2026 to build a second multi-use turf field, an expanded 23-space parking lot, and field lighting. Union County Sheriff's Office's Town of Indian Trail Division, which maintains a dedicated municipal policing presence, typically oversees public safety and traffic control for gatherings of this size in town limits.
