While the East Wing of the White House has been demolished to make way for a ballroom, the Office of the First Lady, once housed there, is hard at work preparing for the holidays. "Traditions will continue," a White House official tells HELLO!. Although there is no longer an East Wing to decorate, the White House will still celebrate the holidays, from the upcoming Halloween event to the Thanksgiving turkey pardon, the Christmas tree delivery and other holiday traditions in the lead up to Christmas.
The White House's Halloween event will take place on October 30, despite the ongoing government shutdown, which began earlier this month. HELLO! has confirmed that the event is not directly impacted by the shutdown. Mrs. Trump shared this year's Halloween plans a week before the holiday, announcing that she and her husband, President Donald Trump, will open the South Lawn to trick or treaters on the eve of Halloween.
"The First Lady and her staff look forward to the holiday season and continuing the many wonderful traditions of the White House—starting with Halloween at the White House," a spokesperson for the first lady's office told HELLO!. "Many thanks to the partners helping make this special event possible for children and families."
Open to ticket holders, the annual White House tradition will welcome military families, law enforcement families, foster and adoptive families, in addition to administration officials with children. HELLO! understands that the first lady wanted to ensure foster and adoptive families were included this year.
© Courtesy of the Office of the First LadyThe President and First Lady of the United States will distribute commemorative candies to trick or treaters at the event, which will include traditional Halloween songs performed by the United States Air Force Strolling Strings, as well as toy mail trucks provided by the U.S. Postal Service, a BE BEST postcard station for kids and a giant pumpkin photo op.
© Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesThe U.S. Department of Agriculture is set to hand out mini pumpkins from American farmers, while the International Fresh Produce Association will provide New York and Washington state apples and the National Confectioners Association will provide sweet treats. According to the first lady's office, the Halloween event will additionally feature participation and treats by America 250, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Park Service, the U.S. Mint, the U.S. Secret Service, the White House Historical Association and the Center of Science and Industry.
© Mike Theiler-Pool/Getty ImagesWhile it was President Dwight D. Eisenhower's wife, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower, who decorated the White House for Halloween for the first time in 1958, the White House Historical Association's website notes that first families have marked the holiday with an event for trick or treaters since John F. Kennedy's young children arrived at the White House, though Halloween is said to have taken on a "large significance during the Richard M. Nixon administration, as the first family hosted a series of public events for local children."
The Trumps have previously celebrated Halloween at the White House. During President Trump’s first term, the couple hosted the holiday event in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020.
Though Halloween is right around the corner, the first lady has been gearing up for Christmas since the summer. In August, the first lady's office revealed that Christmas planning was underway at the White House, and earlier this month, a video of Mrs. Trump with a gold ornament was shared on social media with the caption: "Christmas meeting in the @WhiteHouse."
The 2025 National Christmas Tree Lighting is scheduled to take place on December 4 at the White House. The free ticket lottery for the event, presented by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, opens October 29 at 10 a.m. ET and will close on November 5 at 10 a.m. ET.
