6 Ideas for Celebrating Halloween During COVID-19

It’s spooky season once again! Halloween is right around the corner, and we know many of you are itching to have some hair-raising fun after months of being cooped up at home. But unfortunately, we’re still in the middle of a pandemic, and Halloween during COVID-19 is going to be a little different. Trick-or-treating and costume parties will have to be limited to intimate gatherings, conference calls, or outdoor events that can be enjoyed from the safety of your vehicle⁠. 

Based on the number of Halloween drive-thru events in the works, the latter option appears to be the most popular. Therefore, it’s important to prepare your ride for the festivities. Now is the best time to get your vehicle checked and replace faulty parts that may render your car unsafe⁠—like broken or dim headlights. This is particularly important as daylight savings time is ending soon, which means we’re likely to see an increase in cases of road accidents. 

Once your vehicle is ready for the road, it’s time to plan some fun activities. To help you decide, we’ve gathered some safe and creative ideas for celebrating Halloween during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Halloween 2020: 6 Creative Ways to Celebrate Halloween During the COVID-19 Pandemic 

This Halloween is the perfect time to let your imagination run wild. With all the social distancing restrictions in place, most traditional trick-or-treating activities will likely be canceled. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the holidays.

Here are six social-distancing-friendly Halloween ideas for the spookiest night of the year: 

Spook the Neighborhood with Halloween Decorations

Turn your home into a haunted mansion, a vampire’s dungeon, or a magical fairyland with some eye-catching decorations. Keep your kids occupied for hours with art projects like making bat and pumpkin cutouts, paper chains, and the like. 

Aside from your home, it’s also a great idea to deck out your car with fun and spooky decor. You can use pumpkin string lights, fake cobwebs, and more⁠. As long as they don’t distract other drivers or interfere with your ability to see the road, feel free to get creative!

Participate in a Drive-By Trick-or-Treat 

Now that your car is all dressed up, it’s time to put it to good use. While traditional trick-or-treating may not be safe for this year, there are plenty of ways for kids to get their fill of candies and sweets while staying safe.

Instead of going door-to-door to ask for treats, neighbors can schedule a drive-by to deliver candies to each family’s doorstep. This activity is a safe way for communities to celebrate Halloween together while maintaining proper social distance.

If you plan on joining this type of activity, make sure that your car’s headlights and fog lights are fully-functional, especially if these events are scheduled late in the afternoon or at night. 

Are you a weekend off-roading warrior? Outfitting your truck, Jeep, or SUV with LED light bars can provide extra illumination on one of the darkest nights of the year. 

Even with strict social distancing protocols in most areas, kids wearing dark costumes can be easily missed, so it’s best to take extra precautions. To ensure full visibility of the road, make sure to replace any faulty lighting parts right away. While you’re at it, you’ll want to take care of any other essential repairs—like replacing a failing alternator—to ensure nothing but smooth cruising on Halloween night. 

Attend a Socially Distant Trunk-or-Treat

Trunk-or-treat? Trick-or-trunk? Whatever you want to call it, this socially distant event is a great option for families who want to celebrate Halloween during COVID-19 with their communities. It’s pretty much like a tailgate party, but instead of booze and ribs, people bring candy and all sorts of Halloween treats.

Many local organizations are pushing through with their annual trunk-or-treat activities this year. However, for safety reasons, these events will be limited to a certain number of attendees. Families will need to register ahead of time to participate. 

Don’t forget to decorate your vehicle and mask up when joining these events! 

Watch Car-Themed Horror Movies With the Family

A simple way to celebrate Halloween during COVID-19 is to host a movie night with the family. How about a car-themed horror marathon?

Rewatch classic films such as Barris Lincoln’s The Car—a movie about an evil car that comes to life and goes on a killing spree. You can also watch John Carpenter’s Christine, which tells the tale of a possessed 1958 Plymouth Fury. As the night deepens, move on to more recent films by watching certified cult classics like Jeepers Creepers.

If you have younger kids, stick to family-friendly Halloween movies such as Hocus Pocus, Halloweentown, Casper, or even Hotel Transylvania.

If you really want to do something outside your home, you can check out special Halloween features at popular drive-in spots. For instance, John Carpenter’s 1979 classic horror film Halloween and its sequels will be played at various drive-in theatres across the country.

Go on a Drive-Thru Haunted Adventure

For those who want to get a good scare this Halloween, try and explore the different drive-thru haunted experiences near you. These are like your typical Halloween attractions where you go through a spooky set with actors in scary costumes⁠—but instead of walking through it, you get to stay in your car.

Get tickets to the Urban Legends Haunt in Costa Mesa, California to see creepy set pieces based on urban legends like the supernatural cave dwellers of the Blackstar canyon.

If you’re a Stranger Things fan, an interactive “drive-into experience” in downtown Los Angeles will take you back to 1985, in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. You’ll get to see an actual Starcourt mall and experience how it is to be lost in the “Upside-Down.” 

There are many drive-thru events across the country, so check online for events in your area. Tickets will likely sell out fast, so make sure to purchase them early!

Before visiting these attractions, make sure your brake components, such as your rotors and pads, are in good condition. This will help ensure a safer Halloween experience for you, your passengers, and your fellow adventurers around you.

Make a Weekend of It and Go Camping 

One of the best and most social-distancing-friendly ways to celebrate Halloween is to make a weekend of it and go on a camping road trip! To a kid, there’s nothing spookier than telling ghost stories around a campfire… with s’mores and treats on hand, of course.

Many national parks and camping grounds have already reopened, but you’ll need to plan your trip ahead of time. Most parks aren’t operating at full capacity in order to implement social distancing protocols. Campers are also required to secure reservations as early as a month before their visit. 

Check out thisguide for information on visiting national parks during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Before setting out for a fun road trip to your desired camping site, it’s important to check your vehicle’s shocks and struts and make sure they’re in good shape. The same goes for other crucial components, such as your vehicle’s fuel pump and oxygen sensors. 

Lastly, make sure that you’re not driving a car with a faulty starter. A bad starter can cause your engine to crank slowly or not crank at all. The last thing you want is to get stranded in the middle of nowhere. After all, that’s precisely how many horror scenes start…

Are Outdoor Community Events Allowed This Halloween? 

It depends on your state’s health and safety regulations. If you belong to a high-risk community, it’s best to celebrate indoors and exercise caution. You also have the option to celebrate virtually with your friends by hosting a virtual costume party. There are plenty of ideas online, so get creative and make this Halloween a memorable one for your family. 

Here’s a guide from the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) to help you plan a safe Halloween during COVID-19.