A growing number of towns in New Jersey are holding trunk-or-treat events this year.

Belmar hosted its annual costume contest and trunk-or-treat event Friday with plenty of kids lined up to take part in the festivities. Participants decorate their cars for Halloween and fill their trunks with candy. Kids can then car hop to pick out candy.

"I think it's better, especially for families that want to get out and really enjoy trick-or-treating without having to worry about crossing the streets," says Maria Rondinaro, of Belmar.

Trunk-or-treating dates back at least 20 years but the trend picked up steam over the last five years, especially during the pandemic. New Jersey is ranked first in trunk-or-treat searches, according to a new study.

Some towns also implement curfews to increase safety for Halloween. In Belmar, the curfew goes into effect from Saturday from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and will continue into the start of next week.