Bonfire Night in America

Q. Do Americans celebrate Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes Night?

Not today, though they once did. In colonial New England, 5 November was "Pope Night", with parades and effigies burned on bonfires, especially in Boston and other seaport towns. It faded in Boston around the time of the Revolution, after George Washington condemned it in 1775, although it hung on in a few New England towns for much longer.

Today, Halloween is the big autumn celebration in the US, and most Americans have never heard of Guy Fawkes. So a Bonfire Night party is a lovely thing to share with American friends and neighbours, who usually love the story.

Q. What should Brits know about Halloween in America?

Halloween falls on Saturday 31 October 2026, and it is a much bigger affair than most of us grew up with. Houses are decorated for weeks beforehand, adults dress up as well as children, and many offices and schools have costume days. A few things worth knowing:

• Trick-or-treating: children go door to door in costume from around dusk on the 31st. A porch light that is on usually means you are welcome to knock; a dark porch means the house is not taking part. Some towns set official trick-or-treat hours, so check with your city.
• What to hand out: shop-bought, individually wrapped sweets (Americans say "candy"). Homemade treats are usually avoided. In a busy neighbourhood you can get a lot of callers, so buy more than you think you need.
• Teal pumpkins: a teal-painted pumpkin on a doorstep means the house offers non-food treats, such as stickers or small toys, for children with food allergies.
• Trunk-or-treat: many churches and schools hold these in their car parks, with children going from car boot to car boot. They are a good option with little ones.
• Pumpkins: carving is a big tradition, and pumpkin patches and farms open throughout October. If you grew up carving a turnip or a swede, you will find a pumpkin a lot easier.

Then, five days later, you can introduce the neighbours to Bonfire Night.

Q. Where can I go to a Bonfire Night party in the US in 2026?

• New York, Thursday 5 November: Bonfire Night with the St. George's Society of New York at London & Martin Co., 6 Stone Street, 6 to 8pm. Members free, non-members $55. Details and tickets
• Sarasota, Florida: the Sarasota British Club says it holds a Bonfire Night celebration on the first Sunday in November. Check its site for this year's details. Sarasota British Club

Organised Bonfire Night events are thin on the ground in the US, so if there is nothing near you, ask your local British society or St George's Society, or check the dated What's on list on our Community page. Or host your own: a fire pit, sparklers where they are allowed, sausages and a slab of parkin make a very good night.

Q. Can I set off fireworks on Bonfire Night in the US?

Usually not. Fireworks rules in America are set by each state, and often tightened further by the city or county. In many places, consumer fireworks are only legal around set dates such as the 4th of July and New Year, and 5 November is not one of them. A few examples:

• Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada: only "safe and sane" fireworks, such as sparklers and small ground fountains, and only from 28 June to 4 July. Illegal fireworks carry a minimum $500 fine.
• Florida: state law allows consumer fireworks on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day and the 4th of July.
• California: "safe and sane" fireworks are sold only around the 4th of July, and many cities and counties ban them altogether.
• Massachusetts bans consumer fireworks entirely.

The same goes for bonfires. A proper bonfire usually counts as open burning and needs a permit, while a small backyard fire pit is often fine, subject to local rules and burn bans. Before lighting anything, check with your city or county fire department. Your best bet for fireworks is a public display.

Q. Where can I buy black treacle and golden syrup in America for parkin and treacle toffee?

Parkin, the sticky oat and ginger cake from the north of England, and treacle toffee, also called bonfire toffee, both need black treacle. It is not a supermarket staple in the US, but it is easy to order:

• Lyle's Black Treacle is sold by British Essentials, which ships across the US, and is also listed on Amazon.
• Lyle's Golden Syrup is easier to find in shops. World Market stocks it, and some supermarkets carry it on the baking or international aisle.

Can you use molasses instead? Lyle's says black treacle can stand in for molasses in many recipes, but the flavour will be a little different depending on which molasses you use. Blackstrap molasses is much more bitter.

Q. What is a toffee apple called in America?

Ask for a candy apple. That is the American name for the hard, shiny, sugar-coated apple Brits call a toffee apple. A caramel apple is something different: a soft, chewy caramel coating. Both are easy to find in the US in autumn, because of Halloween, so this is one Bonfire Night treat you do not need to import.

Q. Where can I get proper British sausages for Bonfire Night in the US?

A good banger is the heart of a Bonfire Night supper. Two places that sell British-style sausages:

• Parker's Great British Institution near Buffalo, New York, sells Cumberland, Lincolnshire and other British sausages and ships them across the US in insulated packaging. parkersgbi.com
• Myers of Keswick in New York's West Village makes its own bangers. myersofkeswick.com

Add jacket potatoes, which need nothing special, and a tin of mushy peas, which the online British shops stock, and you have the full spread. Our Community & Events page lists British shops and butchers city by city.