Thousands of Austin families will trade trick-or-treating door to door for a stadium parking lot full of fire trucks, a Zoox Robotaxi and even an H-E-B shopping cart when the SAFE Alliance hosts its annual Truck-or-Treat event on Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Q2 Stadium. The nonprofit expects nearly 6,000 children and parents to turn out for the Halloween-themed spinoff of its long-running Touch-a-Truck tradition.
The event, held at 10414 McKalla Place, blends costumes and candy with hands-on vehicle exploration, according to the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Kids will get to climb through everyday and unusual vehicles alike, a tradition the SAFE Alliance has run for nearly a decade under the Touch-a-Truck name before adding the Halloween theme, as reported by KEYE / CBS Austin. Jayden Beatty, the SAFE Alliance's Chief Development Officer, joined the station's We Are Austin segment to talk about the event and its mission.
Attractions this year include a TxDOT car seat safety demonstration, free food and non-alcoholic drinks while supplies last, arts and crafts, music, inflatables, and dedicated quiet sensory and movie rooms for families who need a calmer space. Per the event listing on OneCause, tickets run $20 for general admission for adults and children ages 3 and up, with a $50 VIP option that includes early entry at 9 a.m. and access to the stadium's climate-controlled Lexus Club. Children 2 and under get in free, and the article notes a ticket flash sale runs through today, October 15.
A Fundraiser With Deeper Stakes
Beneath the costumes and candy, Truck-or-Treat is doing real financial work for an organization under pressure. The SAFE Alliance is an Austin-based nonprofit providing services and resources to survivors of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking, and the event is designed to raise awareness of that mission while connecting families to an organization focused on community safety, according to the station's report.
That mission has grown more urgent in 2026. In June, the SAFE Alliance stopped offering forensic sexual assault examinations at its Eloise House clinic after facing a $6 million funding deficit driven by federal, state and local budget cuts, according to The Austin Chronicle. Local forensic exam services shifted to a model in which hospitals provide the exams and BRAVE Alliance coordinates with them, per the same reporting.
An Agency Serving Thousands Each Year
The scale of what's at stake is significant. The SAFE Alliance provides emergency shelter and housing for nearly 1,000 adults and children every night in Austin and delivers direct support services to more than 6,000 survivors of domestic violence and abuse annually across Central Texas, according to the City of Austin. Its 24/7 SAFEline crisis service has also drawn independent scrutiny: a 2023 University of Texas at Austin study supported by the National Institute of Justice found that 84.1% of text and chat users reported the service was helpful.
The organization is also navigating leadership change. Dr. Pierre R. Berastaín became CEO in December 2025, succeeding longtime CEO Julia Spann after her nearly three-decade tenure, according to the SAFE Alliance. Beatty, the spokesperson featured in the Truck-or-Treat segment, joined as Chief Development Officer effective July 15, 2026, bringing more than ten years of nonprofit fundraising experience to the role.
The SAFE Alliance works across child abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence. Hoodline previously reported in February on a downtown sexual assault case in which a survivor received a forensic exam at a SAFE Alliance clinic, underscoring how directly the agency's clinical work intersects with active criminal investigations in Austin.
Families interested in attending Truck-or-Treat can find ticket pricing and full event details at safeaustin.org/truckortreat, according to KEYE / CBS Austin.
