Viral Calgary '2L Soda Dad' not returning for Halloween this year
One of Calgary’s best Halloween stops has officially fizzled out. The family behind the viral “2L Soda Dad” has announced they will not be carrying out the tradition this year.
After a decade of handing out two-litre bottles of pop on Halloween night, his daughter, April Walton, posted a TikTok to break the news.
@muffarino 🕺🏾🕺🏾🕺🏾 no but seriously we are NOT doing it this year #calgary #yyc #2lsodahalloween #halloween ♬ original sound – mjfangirl07
The video was captioned “No but seriously we are NOT doing it this year.”
The family captured the attention and hearts of Calgarians in 2021 during the height of the pandemic after getting creative over lockdown restrictions. They built a makeshift slide stretching from their balcony to the street so the giant pop bottles could easily glide into the excited hands and open bags of trick-or-treaters.
They went viral again in 2022 after handing out 1,000 bottles of pop.
In 2024, the family announced that they were stepping back from the tradition because of the sheer effort it took to hand out that amount of soda, but in a last-minute twist, they brought it back with help from sponsors, and they even invited volunteers to apply to help keep the tradition alive.
Walton had already hinted at the announcement in a previous TikTok, which was captioned “PSA from the 2L Soda Halloween House,” and used a popular sound that says, “Do not come.”
@muffarino I’m fr #2lsodadad #2lsodahalloween #halloween #calgary #yyc ♬ original sound – Chief Green Screens
Fans of the tradition quickly took to the comments of the posts expressing their sadness.
“So sad y’all aren’t doing it,” one user said, while another added, “This makes me so sad.”
Others used the chance to reminisce.
“Awwww I will miss watching the little kids running up to grab one,” someone said, while another added, “It was good while it lasted. You guys will be an urban legend.”
With files from Emma Kilburn-Smith