Every year at the University of Virginia, new seasons bring old traditions to life. As the leaves change and Grounds turns into a colorful fall landscape, one particular event brings UVA together with the Charlottesville community: Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn.
Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn (TOTOTL) is a “longtime tradition established by students in the late 1980s.” The Lawn, which consists of historic rooms for fourth-year students and home to the famous Rotunda, adds another layer to traditional Halloween festivities by transforming into a lively place for trick-or-treating. At this special occasion, the Lawn residents (Lawnies) open their doors to crowds of families decked out in their costumes.
To bring this event to life each year, various student organizations and Lawnies set up at the 54 Lawn rooms. The 2025 TOTOTL participants included a wide range of groups, such as pre-professional organizations (Phi Delta Epsilon and Theta Tau), cultural organizations (Pakistani Student Association and Japanese Student Association), service organizations (Madison House and Cavalier Food Pantry), sports teams (Club Swim and Club Squash), and many more.
From 5-7 p.m. on Friday, October 31, members of these organizations were invited to hand out candy. Each participating Lawn room was adorned with Halloween decorations and painted banners hung above the doors. Some organizations went all out with themes—the Engineering Student Council paid homage to the film Monsters, Inc with colorful tassels, balloons, and of course, fluffy costumes. As seen in a video published by UVA, other themes were pirates, robbers, superheroes, and The Wizard of Oz, all of whom had mountains of candy ready to hand out.
Even from afar, the chatter and noise from the Lawn could be heard across Grounds. As I headed toward TOTOTL, I passed by families making their way home. Despite the stream of people exiting, the Lawn was still packed with attendees. Every which way, there were little ghouls, knights, animals, and some beloved cartoon characters. Several dogs accompanied their owners, outfitted in their own costumes as well. TOTOTL also brought a substantial number of UVA students of all years, who took this opportunity to wear their costumes. To many people’s delight, Cav Man made an appearance too.
And when the sun had set and the sky darkened, there were still just as many undeterred trick-or-treaters. Adapting to the nightfall, people adorned necklaces made up of glowsticks and continued on with the festivities. The lines to get candy were still long—even towards the end of the allotted two hours.
Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn has been one of the most beloved events put on by the University, allowing students a chance to connect with the Charlottesville community and enjoy the nostalgic act of trick-or-treating. Decades later from its establishment, TOTOTL is a time-honored tradition that makes UVA, UVA.
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