A Guide To a COVID-19 Halloween

Don’t let COVID-19 trick you into thinking this Halloween can’t still be a treat. Here are some great ways to make this Halloween season just as fun—I mean spooky—as all the others!

The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze

Just over an hour north of NYC at Van Cortlandt Manor, you’ll find The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze, boasting over 7,000 carved pumpkins in a variety of designs. Everyone is required to wear masks and stay six feet apart, so you can enjoy getting scared without being scared of COVID-19. The Blaze promises lots of fun outdoor activities that make for great photo-ops, including a “Pumpkin Planetarium” and “choreographed” music for each location playing throughout the whole experience. The Blaze is open all the way through November 21, but get your tickets now because it always sells out quickly!

Address: Van Cortlandt Manor, 525 S Riverside, Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520

Price: $25

The Skyline Drive-In

Drive-ins are making a comeback. The Skyline Drive-In in Brooklyn is showing horror and comedy-horror movies all month. Some titles include: “Scream” (1996), “Paranormal Activity” (2007), “Beetlejuice” (1988), and “The Evil Dead” (1981).

Address: 1 Oak St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

Price: $55 (per car)

Mazezilla

While a little farther away from New York City, Mazezilla in Pennsylvania has a corn maze, pumpkin patch, and a produce stand, all of which are, of course, outdoors. Their corn maze is 11 acres, and the pumpkin patch is vast as well, with both mini and large pumpkins along with a hayride to and from the patch! Mazezilla is open on weekends for all of October and for the first weekend of November.

Address: 415 Old, State Rte 115, Saylorsburg, PA 18353

Price: $10-$12 depending on the time of day

Student Union (SU) Events

For those who want to get in the Halloween spirit from the comfort of their own home, have no fear (maybe some, to make sure the vibe is complete), because the SU has several Halloween events planned! While we are all sad that Boograms and costume contests can’t happen in-person, the SU is brainstorming ways to uphold those traditions. Aside from those two, they plan to host virtual Halloween movie nights and Halloween-themed art and photography contests.

Festive Treats

If you’re afraid of ghosts or just want to stay indoors, whip up a spooky treat, and watch a scary movie with friends and family. There are so many amazing Halloween recipes out there, but here are a few of my favorites. The Food Network has a treat called Red Velvet Vampire Cupcakes. The normal red velvet recipe will do, but add red jam filling and two bite marks for a spooky twist! The next are Skeleton Cookies, so go get a gingerbread man cookie cutter early this year, and decorate them in a skeleton shape with icing when they’re done. A quick dessert, meringues only need eyes and a mouth to be little ghosts! And rice crispy treats with spider-web-like icing and little spider candies are also an easy Halloween dessert.

If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it is that sometimes it’s good to reimagine our ways of doing things, and Halloween should be no different. Sure, it’s a bit upsetting that people can’t have get-togethers, but there’s so much more we can do to get in the spirit of Halloween. Plenty of good comes from thinking outside the box—or coffin.