While the Coronavirus may be changing the way we celebrate a little, it can't dampen our spooky spirits 🧡 We've put together a list to help inspire your own celebrations, including guidance from the CDC plus some local COVID-compliant events!
The CDC cautions that “many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses,” but also suggests some alternate ways to observe the holiday, broken up from lower to moderate risk tiers. Here’s an abridged selection:
Low risk:
- Carving pumpkins with members of your household: If you wish to include neighbors/friends, try this activity outside at a safe distance
- Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt: Children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house, admiring decorations at a distance
- Having a virtual costume contest
- Having a Halloween movie night with members of your household
Moderate risk:
- Participating in one-way trick-or-treating: Individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard).
- If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the bags
- Having a small, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
- Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
- Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing
It advises that traditional trick-or-treating, indoor parties, and indoor haunted houses are considered high-risk and should be avoided.
We also have a few ideas of our own, for those based in the Portland metro – here they are!
For families with kids: Howloween at the Oregon Zoo
- The zoo provides a fun and safe setting for this Halloween tradition, where costumed trick-or-treaters learn about healthy habitats for wildlife in a fun scavenger hunt throughout the zoo.
- Date(s): 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 24, 25, 29, 30, 31 and Nov. 1
- Location: 4001 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR 97221
- Price: Purchase Tickets Here
For the 21+ crowd: Halloween Candy & Wine Pairing
- Join Hip Chicks Do Wine for a fun pairing of Halloween Candy and Wine. Flight includes 5 candies paired with 5 wines + a sample of our Seasonal Witches Brew Sangria.
- Date(s): October 23 – 25; see website for winery hours
- Location: 4510 SE 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97202
- Price: $17 per person
For thrill seekers: Oaks Park Haunted Drive-Thru
- From the twisted minds that brought you the Clark County ScareGrounds comes a new and innovative take on the classic Haunted House experience, combining new scare techniques with theatrical story-telling.
- Date(s): October 9 – November 1. Times vary; see website
- Location: 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, Portland, OR 97202
- Price: ranges from $69.99 to $79.99 per vehicle, according to hours; see website
For historian thrill seekers: Clark County Historical Museum Haunted Walking Tours
Experience a spooky slant on history with the CCHM Haunted Walking Tour – RSVP required as they do sell out.
- Date(s): recurs daily October 23 – October 28, tours begin at 6pm and 7pm
- Location: 1511 Main St., Vancouver, WA 98660
- Price: $18 ($15 for CCHS members)