Fall is an amazing time of year, with changing leaves, crisp air and Halloween festivities. However, making plans that don’t involve alcohol this season can be difficult, especially in college. Whether you want to celebrate with friends or have some me-time, here are a few ways to soberly embrace the spooky season this year.
1. have a movie marathon
Grab a blanket, your favorite snacks and your closest friends and cozy up to binge some festive movies this Halloween. Although it may seem obvious, this is one of the best ways to get in the spirit, and it doesn’t need to be complicated.
Whether you prefer scary or nostalgic, feel-good movies, there are endless combinations for the perfect lineup. Here are some of my favorites:
Scary/spooky:
“Scream” series
“Saw” series
“Halloween”
“The Silence of the Lambs”
“Sinners”
Feel-good:
“Hocus Pocus”
“Halloweentown”
“Hubie Halloween”
“Frankenweenie”
“It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”
A mix of both:
“Monster House”
“Coraline”
“The Nightmare Before Christmas”
“Corpse Bride”
“Beetlejuice”
2. host your own costume party
Arguably the best part of Halloween is crafting the perfect costume, but just because you aren’t wearing it to the bar doesn’t mean you can’t dress up. Send out invites to your friends and have fun in an alcohol-free environment.
If you are still searching for something to wear, try referencing this guide on how to buy a costume without breaking the bank.
3. visit a pumpkin patch
Going to pick out the perfect pumpkin is one of the most quintessential fall activities. Grab a friend or head out by yourself and select a variety of pumpkin sizes to bring home for some fall fun.
You can carve a scary or silly face, but it doesn’t have to stop there. Save the pumpkin seeds and roast them for a fun snack to munch on during the rest of your fall festivities. Here is a quick and easy recipe you can follow for pumpkin seeds.
Here are a few options for pumpkin patches not too far away from Columbia:
Lloyd’s Family Farm in Ashland
Shryock’s Callaway Farms in Columbia
Hickory Ridge Orchard in Mexico, Missouri.
4. host a craft night
Halloween is also one of the best times of the year to get creative.
Grab one of your extra pumpkins from the patch, or you can buy one from most grocery stores, and paint your pumpkin!
Air dry clay, a little paint and magnets can help you create the perfect decoration for your fridge this fall. Here are a couple of fun designs to get your creative juices flowing.
If you have spare construction paper or extra fabric laying around, both would make a cute garland that can double as decor.
To spice the night up a little more, make a fall-themed mocktail to sip on while you paint. Here are a couple of recipes that sound delicious.
5. visit a haunted house or go on a hayride
If watching a scary movie just isn’t getting your heart rate up enough, I encourage you to attend a haunted attraction this season and see how that goes. For this activity, you might want to bring a friend so you have someone’s arms to jump into.
Here are a few local options near Columbia that are worth checking out:
Missouri Nightmare Haunted Attraction in Columbia
The Dead Factory Haunted House in Mexico, Mo.
Zombie World in Kingdom City
6. go to the movies
A great way to escape the party scene on Halloween is to go to the movies for the night. I highly encourage you to check your local theater’s showtimes leading up to Oct. 31 as a lot of places show special movies for Halloween.
Many local places are having specific screenings for spooky movies:
- Forum 8 in Columbia is showing “Scream” at 10 p.m. on Oct. 31
- Lakeside Ashland is showing “Hocus Pocus” on Oct. 30
- Regal Columbia is showing “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Scream” on Oct. 31
7. Try something different
If you don’t enjoy Halloween at all, there are still many great ways to spend your night on Oct. 31. You don’t need to celebrate Halloween just because everyone else is.
Go bowling! AMF Town & Country Lanes is a great local place.
Play mini golf! I recommend trying out Midway Golf & Games.
Do an escape room at Breakout CoMo.