Halloween 2020: Different Can Be Fun

Abigail Kirby, Staff Reporter

It’s no secret that this Halloween is going to be different from other years because Covid-19. Carroll County officials agreed to allow trick-or-treating to take place from 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on Saturday, Oct. 31. Of course, people will have to wear masks and social distance while trick-or-treating.

Not all students will feel comfortable trick-or-treating this year, so here are some lower risk activities that people could do instead:

  • Have a Halloween movie night with the people you live with;
  • Invite neighbors or friends to carve or decorate pumpkins outdoors and at a safe distance; 
  • Decorate your house, apartment, or living space;
  • Visit a pumpkin patch or orchard where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, are strongly encouraged to wear masks, and where people are able to maintain a safe social distance; and/or
  • Attend an open-air, one-way, walk through (or drive through) haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people are able to maintain a safe social distance.

You should avoid high risk activities such as attending crowded costume parties held indoors, participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door, or going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household.

For those who still want to participate in trick-or-treating, try to avoid direct contact with trick-or-treaters. This can be done by setting up a station with individually bagged treats for kids to take. Try to be creative with how you deliver candy to trick-or-treaters. 

Remember, a costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth mask. Make sure you wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before handing kids treats. And remember to have fun! Just because Halloween 2020 is going to be different this year, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have to be fun.