While many college students flood the party scene on Halloween Weekend, there are plenty of other fun things to do for this special holiday besides getting a food coma from candy or a bad hangover from a party. Here are five must-do activities that will make this Halloween worthwhile.
1. Go to the pumpkin patch.
Not only is carving pumpkins one of the more enjoyable things to do while celebrating Halloween, but taking a trip to the pumpkin patch is a right of passage for the month of October. There is plenty of fresh food to buy for your houses as well as corn stalks and activities to attend. Lone Pine Farms in Eugene also has a Mercantile with plenty of local food to purchase and a petting farm and playground. They also have a daytime corn maze and a nighttime haunted corn maze for all the thrill-seeking Halloween junkies.
2. Talk to the Dead.
Whether you are a believer in paranormal entities or not, Halloween usually brings out the spookiness in everyone. Break out the Ouija board (but not alone) and attempt to talk to the dead. Call out an old relative, that ghost that haunted your childhood house, or a long deceased celebrity that you’ve been dying to speak to. Worst case, you’ll get a good laugh out of it. Just make sure you say goodbye if you reach out to the spirit, otherwise, you could be haunted forever. Bonus points if you can get the board to work.
3. Host a bonfire in your backyard.
Stuck at home greeting trick-or-treaters? No problem. Regardless the mysterious nature of Halloween, it should be spent in good company. Invite the whole friend group over and share stories over a bonfire. Make s-mores, eat the candy that the kids didn’t want, and share ghost stories from old urban legends. Halloween is a scary holiday, but it should also be one that you can relax for.
4. Did you say scary movies?
Although very cheesy, scary movies make you jump. The one night in the year that is completely acceptable to force your friends into a scary movie is Halloween. Throw it back to the old Halloween movies on Netflix, or rent the newest ones at Safeway. Just remember, they aren’t real. Make some popcorn, turn off the lights and grab your blankets. This is a guarantee to get your heart racing, regardless of how outlandish some of them may be.
5. Bake something sweet.
To avoid eating all of the candy you buy to celebrate Halloween (it’s not good to fill up on only candy), bake some pumpkin bread or roast the seeds from your carved pumpkins with a little salt and pepper. Get creative with extravagant cookies, or basic with warm apple cider. The best part of all holidays is the seasonal treats that you get to make.
Happy Halloween, collegiettes!