The year the Barrett Township Halloween Parade couldn't move, the floats stayed put. During the pandemic, the Rotary Club of the Pocono Mountains parked them at the former Barrett Elementary Center and families drove past them, a format organizers called a "Reverse Parade." WNEP's report on that year quoted parade chairman Peter Pipolo describing how organizers had already canceled five of their other major events that year and were determined to save this one.
Six years later, the parade is back on Route 390 for its 61st edition. Skytop Lodge has packed weekends planned for the end of October, but most of what it offers is built around overnight stays. The parts of the season that are open to anyone living in Canadensis, Mountainhome, Cresco or the homes around Skytop are run by the community. The lodge's one free public event, a Trunk or Treat at its Stables, is scheduled to fit in alongside them.
A Parade That Kept Its Count
The Rotary Club of the Pocono Mountains bills this year's event as the 61st Annual Barrett Township Halloween Parade and calls it "Barrett Township's longest running tradition." The numbering adds up, which isn't always true of a long-running local event. The 2014 parade was planned as the 50th but was canceled, so the 2015 parade carried the 50th number, as WNEP reported at the time. The pandemic-year Reverse Parade was followed by organizers' hopes for "the 56th annual" the next year. The 2024 parade was listed as the 59th. That puts October 2026 at 61.
The parade has also kept much of its shape. A 2011 Pocono Record Halloween roundup described the route then as running from the Barrett Elementary Center to Mountainhome United Methodist Church. It also mentioned 50/50 tickets sold through Lewis Market and the return of Scarecrowville. The 2026 route still ends near the Methodist church in Mountainhome. Only the starting point has moved.
"We start organizing this parade the year before and we really get going in March."
Pipolo said that to WNEP. The same report named Boy Scout Troop 89, the Cub Scouts and Lynnette's Twirlerettes among the groups that march. By that account, planning for each October's parade is well underway by spring.
Sunday, October 18, on Route 390
Here is what the Barrett Township event listing and the Rotary page show for this year:
- Start: 2 p.m. at the Barrett Administrative & Recreation Complex
- Route: through Barrett Township along Route 390
- Finish: Brutzman Road Extension, just before Mountainhome Methodist Church
- On the program: fire trucks, live music, creative floats, antique cars and "spooky guests"
The posted end time differs depending on where you look. The township and Rotary listings run the event until 5:30 p.m., while the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau's Halloween roundup lists 2 to 4:30 p.m. No road-closure or detour notice had been posted as of this writing, so build in extra time for any Sunday afternoon trip on 390. The Rotary page lists Peter at (570) 656-5700 for parade questions and links to float and sponsor registration.
Because the route runs along the Route 390 corridor, the parade passes close to the area's independent places to eat. Here's what was operating this year according to the township's 2026 business directory and each business's own listing:
| Spot | Where | When it serves |
|---|---|---|
| First Place Cafe | 2475 Route 390, Canadensis | Breakfast and lunch, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., closed Tuesdays |
| Butter | 2468 Route 390, Canadensis | Dinner, Thursday through Sunday |
| Mountainhome Deli & Cafe | Route 390 at Laurel Pine Road, Mountainhome | Take-out window |
| My Daughter's Place at Brookview Manor | 4534 Route 447, Canadensis | Friday and Saturday dinner, other evenings by reservation |
Parade day is a Sunday, so First Place Cafe's hours cover the late morning before the 2 p.m. start, and Butter's Thursday-through-Sunday dinner service covers the evening after.
The Gate Skytop Opens
Skytop Lodge spans 5,500 acres, and its Halloween programming is substantial. The Skytop Spooktacular Weekend runs October 23 to 25, and a separate Halloween Weekend follows from October 30 to November 1. The Spooktacular lineup includes pumpkin decorating, trick-or-treating throughout the resort, a costume parade at afternoon tea, a family-friendly haunted hayride, campfire storytelling and guided nature hikes. The lodge notes that activities "may require a reservation or small activity fee." The page pairs that lineup with the Autumn at Skytop B&B Package, and the listings don't say whether neighbors without a room can join those activities.
The trails follow a clearer rule. Skytop's FAQ page says the hiking trails are for resort guests and homeowners only, and wristbands are required.
The Trunk or Treat is the exception. On Saturday, October 24, from 3 to 5 p.m., Skytop hosts what its event page calls a "free community event" at the Stables, with prizes for Best Dressed Costume. Local households can do more than collect candy. Anyone who wants to decorate a trunk and take part can email Christy Ranallo at [email protected].
This isn't a one-time experiment. Barrett Community's calendar carried the same event in 2025, also at the Stables, also from 3 to 5 p.m. and also free, on Saturday, October 25. Two years in a row, the lodge has set its community event on the Saturday after the township parade. That gives families in the area two consecutive weekends with something to wear a costume to.
Dinner at the Lodge Without a Room
The resort's weekends are mostly for guests, but its restaurants are open to everyone. The FAQ says you don't need to be a resort guest to dine at Skytop. Reservations are strongly suggested in general, and the lodge's dining page says dinner reservations are required at Windsor, Lakeview and the Taproom. Windsor's current page lists Executive Chef Christopher Chludzinski and gives (855) 345-7759 for reservations.
On Halloween night, Skytop is running an "I Love the 80's to Death" Murder Mystery Dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. The event page doesn't list a ticket price or say whether non-guests can book it, so call the lodge before you plan around it.
If you've been waiting on The Nest, Skytop's spa, its own website says only that it is reopening in fall 2026. It gives no date and directs questions to 570-620-7540.
Halloween Night Back in the Township
The township closes out the season. Barrett Township's neighborhood trick-or-treating is set for Saturday, October 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Oak Lane and Prices Drive, with one-way traffic on Oak Lane and controlled intersections. It runs at the same hours as the Murder Mystery Dinner up the road at the lodge, so households with both kids and adults to plan for may need to choose.
The full public calendar fits on one card:
- Sunday, October 18, 2 p.m.: the 61st Barrett Township Halloween Parade, Route 390, Barrett Administrative & Recreation Complex to Brutzman Road Extension
- Saturday, October 24, 3 to 5 p.m.: Skytop's free Trunk or Treat at the Stables
- Saturday, October 31, 6 to 8 p.m.: township trick-or-treating on Oak Lane and Prices Drive
The Rotary Club of the Pocono Mountains organizes the parade, Skytop hosts the Trunk or Treat, and Barrett Township sets the trick-or-treating hours.
At Kelly Realty Group, we follow the community calendars around Skytop and the Barrett Township villages as closely as we follow the market. If you're thinking about what owning a home near the lodge or along Route 390 looks like through the seasons, schedule your free Poconos market consultation and we'll walk you through it.
