Top 5 Fun Activities for this Halloween
By: Larry Kirchner, Owner of Hauntworld.com
Every October, kids around America wait for Halloween night to dress up in every kind of costume, from superheroes to cartoon characters, and trick-or-treat their way through one neighborhood after another. Going trick-or-treating is THE Halloween tradition for most people. However, Halloween has become much more than just trick-or-treating these days; it’s become one of the biggest holidays in the country, complete with over-the-top decorations, themed foods, and activities galore.
Don’t wait until October 31st to get in on the Halloween action. Here are the top 5 Halloween activities to do this year:
Farm Fun
Carving a pumpkin is a pretty die-hard tradition, but if you’re looking for more than a standard pumpkin patch this year, look for a full farm. Many farms small and large offer tons of fall activities, beyond picking out the perfect pumpkin – you can find your way out of a corn maze, drink homemade apple cider, or ride a giant hay slide. Other fun activities often include pony rides, hay mazes, hayrides, zoos, animal races and even shooting pumpkins out of a pumpkin cannon. If you don’t know of a farm near you, check out this directory of great corn mazes and pumpkin patches – you’d be surprised how many of them there are.
Haunted Hayrides
Hayrides have changed drastically over the last decade, and some of the best ones make you feel like you’re in a Hollywood movie. Hayrides have evolved to be very theatrical productions, complete with fog machines, electronic lights, and creepy music. You might even be given a paintball gun to shoot zombies popping up from the bushes. Some are tame, some are spooky, and some are downright scary, but riding in groups with friends makes them all fun. See here for a list of haunted hayrides by state.
Home Haunts
Taking inspiration from Christmas where families often drive around local neighborhoods to admire the Christmas lights, many people are now decorating their yards and homes into spooky graveyards with high tech lights, animations and more, to attract visitors all throughout October. Some homeowners take it a bit further by also decorating the interior of their homes and even creating mazes in the garage or backyard – and usually where there’s one “home haunt,” there are more. Entire neighborhoods get into the action, making it a fun Friday night out. Ask around town or on social media to find a home haunt or neighborhood near you, bundle up, and get your spook on.
Ghost Tours
Ghost hunting TV shows have really increased the popularity of finding real, authentic, eerie haunts, and nothing beats a normal Friday night better than a ghost tour. It takes Halloween to the next level. You can visit a haunted mansion, cemetery or prison while learning about your town’s creepy history – there might be some strange stories you never heard about in school. Find real haunted houses and ghost tours near you here.
Haunted Attractions
Of course one of the most popular things to do around Halloween is visit a haunted attraction – a Halloween-themed amusement park or a professional haunted house. If getting scared is what you’re after, a haunted attraction is sure to get your adrenaline pumping. Haunted houses come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from 3D black light attractions to haunted trails to major scream parks. Most haunted attractions don’t rely on blood and guts anymore, but more on interactive special FX, sophisticated costumes, story lines and CGI FX – they’re freaky and creepy without all the gore. Haunted houses also change regularly, so even if you visited one last year, it’s probably different this year. To plan a night filled with fun and screams, here’s a list of America’s best haunted houses.
Halloween doesn’t have to be all about the candy. Grab your friends, pick a place, and start celebrating early. Check out www.Hauntworld.com to find every pumpkin patch, hayride, corn maze, zombie run to haunted house near you. Happy Halloween!
All Photo Credit: Kersey Valley
Special Thanks to Hauntworld.com