With Halloween being one of the main holidays in fall, there are usually a lot of social activities like festivals, parties, haunted houses, pumpkin patches and last but not least, trick or treating that are centered around it. Though some of those activities are not available this year due to COVID-19, there are many other ways to make 2020 the spookiest halloween yet.

Senior Sam Morgan, one of the co-presidents of Lawrence North Dance Marathon is keeping it fun and safe while hosting a Trunk or Treat For The Kids. “We are planning to do a Trunk or Treat for the Kids around 1-3 p.m. on Halloween so parents can bring their little kids. We will have cars parked in a circle filled with candy and decorated for Halloween. Masks and social distancing will be required, but that won’t stop us from having a great time,” he said. More information will be presented on LNDM’s social media @lndancemarathon and @LNdance.

The CDC has been publishing information about COVID-19 from the beginning and in the spirit of still having fun during this gloomy time, they continue to inform us on how to go about Halloween safely. Celebrating within the household is fine of course, so here are a few guidelines from the CDC if you plan on engaging with small or large groups, although it isn’t recommended. First, you should factor in the COVID levels in your community. They also mentioned that being outside is a lot more safe than inside. You should also factor in how many people will be there and how long the event will be. The CDC recommends wearing your mask no matter where you are or where you go to prevent the spread. If you are planning to attend a gathering you should actively quarantine for 14 days leading up to the event. People that have or have been exposed should not participate or host any in person activities. Lastly, as usual, remember to wash your hands, keep your mask pulled over your mouth/nose and stay a whole witches broomstick (6 feet) apart to keep you and others safe during this Spooky SZN.

Sophomore Jasmine Asumang plans on gathering with a small group of her friends in a unique way. They are dressing up as characters from Willy Wonka and setting up chairs (6 feet apart) in a driveway. As they will be passing out candy to any trick or treaters that come by, Asumang also said that the person handing out the candy will be wearing a mask and gloves to ensure safety.

Junior Taylor Muex is planning on staying in with her loved ones and watching Disney’s Monstober series as well as baking some sort of spooky treat.

Junior Abby Guest is also thinking outside the box and planned a Wizard of Oz costume party with a few friends.

Staying home and celebrating is the most low risk activity you can partake in this Halloween season, according to the CDC. Although it sounds a bit boring, there are many fun and spooktacular things to do in the comfort of your own home.

Good ideas are DIY decorating, where you can express your creative side with choices such as carving/decorating pumpkins, and also hanging fall leaves to spruce up any area of your home. Another great activity is hosting a Halloween Movie Night and totally binging out to some spine-chilling flicks. Get together, and gather popcorn, pizza, candy, etc. to have fun binging the scariest movies and shows. For movies and shows, tune into Huluween and check out the new frightening and twisted thrillers coming to a phone/tv near you. Whatever you do, whether it be entertaining yourself by choosing to create some great DIYs, to making Halloween sweet treats, make sure you make it beautifully your own. One place to look for DIY decorations or even sweet treat recipes is Pinterest. Whether you prefer to keep it rated PG13 or rated R, there are thousands of great DIY ideas fit for each and every household as well as many sweet treat ideas that are simple and shareable.

Additionally, since traditional trick or treating with friends and family has been implicitly outlawed, a new way to celebrate the best part of Halloween is to set up a trick or treating event in the confines of your cozy home. Dress up, if you want,and go from room to room exclaiming, “Trick or Treat!” to receive candy. To spice it up, you could create the #QuarintineHalloween trick or treating event as an Easter Egg hunt, where you hide candy in various locations of the house, and see who can find the most treasure.

While the CDC’s page labeled going out a high risk activity, they mentioned that gathering with a group of ‘family friends’ was only a moderate risk. Things like indoor costume parties or parties in general can be very crowded which makes them perfect places for COVID-19 to spread. Gatherings like the ones mentioned above should not be attended, though there are plenty of spooktastic alternatives, which include hay rides, pumpkin patches, apple orchards and even camping. Camping for Halloween might sound odd but there will be a very rare blue moon on the night of October 31. Going to a local campground or even setting up a tent and starting a fire in the backyard are both great options for a Halloween night under the blue moon. While these activities are public, they are safe to participate in with a small group, masks and the proper social distancing precautions.

Whatever you do and however you choose to spend your Halloween, make sure you are still having fun in the safest way possible. Take pictures and videos of #Halloween2020 and make it the most memorable of all time.