Trick or Treat on the Square in Mount Vernon

Trick or Treat on the Square is the town's annual Halloween gathering, organized through the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and set on the square that anchors downtown Mount Vernon. Merchants and community groups set up on the brick sidewalks around the courthouse, and families make the loop from storefront to storefront on a safe, well-lit evening. This year's edition falls on Saturday, October 31, 2026.

The event

Trick or Treat on the Square is a free, family-oriented event suited to young kids, an early-evening circuit of the downtown square rather than door-to-door on dark country roads. It is the kind of small-town tradition that makes Franklin County feel like home, the same square that hosts Christmas on the Square and CountryFest on other dates through the year. Because the exact evening schedule and participating merchants are set close to Halloween, it is worth confirming details with the Chamber as the date approaches.

The square

Downtown Mount Vernon is anchored by the red-brick Franklin County courthouse, with storefronts and restaurants ringing the square. It is one of the most intact small-town squares in Northeast Texas, walkable and photogenic, and it becomes the centerpiece of the town's celebrations through the year. On Halloween, the square fills with families, pumpkins, and string lights, a comfortable, contained place for kids to trick or treat.

Getting there from the property

Mount Vernon is about fifteen minutes from 1786 County Road 1070 on paved roads. It is one of the two small towns the property sits between, alongside Mount Pleasant, so a Halloween evening on the square is an easy outing. For anyone evaluating the area, an event like this is a quick look at how Franklin County gathers, and how a small town still closes its square for its kids.