If you’re anything like me, Halloween holds a special place in your heart. Every year since I can remember I have loved celebrating Halloween. My friends and I held traditions of wearing group costumes, trick-or-treating, movie marathons, carving pumpkins, haunted houses, partites, and more. The thought that this holiday might not happen this year because of the pandemic is heartbreaking. Especially going into the holiday season, I know that a lot of us are feeling discouraged about how it will go this year. Nevertheless, I am determined to enjoy Halloween this year despite everything going on in the world. The following are a list of COVID-19 safe ways to celebrate this year with close family and friends in Toronto.
- Outdoor Haunted “House”
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Thankfully, here in Toronto, outdoor activities are still permitted and Toronto has many different outdoor haunted houses to visit this year. My personal favourite is the Casa Loma Haunted House. Located in Midtown Toronto, Casa Loma turns into a complete nightmare of ghouls and goblins. The castle is the perfect backdrop for a haunted house like this and has been a staple to visit every year for my Halloween festivities. Opening night is Friday, Oct. 23 and it will stay open until Halloween night.
- Outdoor Patios
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Plenty of restaurant patios are deciding to remain open, even with the weather getting cooler. While we can’t eat inside, bringing blankets and cozying together with friends on an outdoor patio sounds like a pretty good Halloween to me. Toronto has plenty of themed restaurants and bars to help add to the Halloween mood as well. Some of my favourites are El Catrin, Big Trouble, The Shameful Tiki Room, and so many more. Be aware though, you will need to book a reservation in advance, and spots are filling up across the city.
- Drive-Thru Halloween
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Something that I have been seeing a lot of this year is “Drive-Thru Halloween” attractions. They work the same as some of the drive-thru Christmas attractions that we have seen in previous years. Basically, you can enjoy a scene of lights and frights from your very own car. There are a variety of them popping up all around the city. While some are light-hearted and fun, others are downright scary. If you’re anything like me, the car will provide a definite sense of security while you enjoy the show.
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Halloween Movie Binge Night
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If you’re deciding to just stay in this Halloween, there’s nothing wrong with having a Halloween movie binge night. Some of my Halloween favourites that Netflix has recently added are The Nun, Silence of the Lambs, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, The First Purge, Happy Death Day, and the brand new: Hubie Halloween. So grab your bag of candy and enjoy a nice night in!
P.S. Here’s the Hubie Halloween Trailer , for those of you who can’t wait any longer!
- Halloween Baking & Decor
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One of my favourite parts of Halloween is getting creative to celebrate the holiday with my baking and decor. Some of my favourite recipes to bake this time of year include… pumpkin chocolate-chunk cookies, loaded caramel apples, and spider biscuits. Also, if you’re having girlfriends over for Halloween night, “vampire sangria” is a must. For decor, I like to add a mix of tasteful pumpkins and jackolanterns to the common areas of my apartment. I also like to add mason jars filled with candy for guests to help themselves to and spider webs over my kitchen cabinets.
Or, you could always just GHOST everyone and stay home by yourself…
Recipes:
Pumpkin Chocolate-Chunk Cookies
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Heat oven to 375°F.
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Mix flour, baking soda and salt. Beat butter, sugars and pumpkin spice in a large bowl with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, pumpkin and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture until blended. Stir in chocolate and nuts.
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Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.
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Bake 12 to 13 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 1 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.
Loaded Caramel Apples (contains nuts)
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Insert wooden pop sticks into the stem end of each green apple. Cover large plate with parchment paper
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Microwave caramels and cream in a large glass microwavable measuring cup on HIGH 2 to 2-1/2 min. or until caramels are melted and sauce is smooth when stirred; cool slightly.
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Dip apples 1 at a time, into caramel sauce, turning to evenly coat each apple. Let excess caramel drip off.
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Press nuts into caramel. Place on a prepared plate. Refrigerate 1 hour or until the caramel is firm.
Vampire Sangria (19+)
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Add water and wine to drink mix in a 2-L plastic or glass pitcher; stir until mix is completely dissolved.
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Stir in 1 pkt. (makes 1.5 L) Crystal Light Tangerine Grapefruit Low Calorie Drink mix, 1 navel orange, sliced, 1 apple, sliced, 1 lime, sliced. Refrigerate several hours or until chilled.
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Add club soda just before serving; stir. Serve over ice.