How to enjoy Halloween safely during the pandemic
How can we have a normal and safe halloween in Boulder, a city that takes pride in its Halloween festivities. For years. Boulderites have celebrated all hallow’s eve with style and enthusiasm. The eerily decorated houses in the historic Mapleton neighborhood see hundreds of trick-or-treaters every year. The pearl street mall is filled with young kids parading around from shop to shop, showing off their costumes and collecting candy. And the grand finale, at the end of the night, is the pearl street crawl. Adults hop from bar to bar, showing off their creative costumes.
This year, however, this will all look a little different. Regardless of your age and how you like to celebrate Halloween, Boulder will find a way to celebrate safely. Here are some of our thoughts about Halloween 2020.
Trick or Treating, Costumes, and COVID
The CDC has posted their guideline to staying safe and healthy this holiday this season. As you can imagine, indoor costume parties and traditional trick-or-treating are considered high-risk activities. Consider alternative solutions. If you have a party, maintain 6 feet distance, limit the number of people attending the gathering, and know the kinds of activities your guests are participating in regularly. Hosting outside is preferable. Costumes that include masks are a bonus, but unfortunately, a plastic costume mask won’t cut it. Consider an at-home Halloween scavenger hunt if you prefer to play it safe by staying home. We recommend staying up to date with State and County’s most recent health and safety guidelines to celebrate Halloween safely.
“Costume masks may be worn, but keep in mind they are not a substitute for a cloth mask unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers your mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around your face,” advises Dr. Nzeh, an internal medicine specialist in Houston
Things such as pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and outdoor gatherings where social distancing is practiced are much safer. Our preferred activity is an outdoor Halloween movie night, where a small number of friends can join in your backyard. Provide individual snacks, guests bring their chairs and blankets and use a projector to stream your favorite scary movie.
Celebrate For Normalcy, But Safely
Like much of this year, have fun and celebrate the small things, but not like how you used to. Traditional trick-or-treating will have to look different this year. Touching doorbells and families closely passing each other on the sidewalks isn’t safe this year. We’ve found some creative solutions for this year. For example, taping pieces of candy to wooden skewers and sticking them in your lawn for trick or treaters. You could also get creative with a slide like contraption build from a PVC pipe to get the trick or treaters their candy. But as always, do what is best for you and your family.
Other Local Events
Boulder may be doing this slightly different this year, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of socially distanced events happening in town. Check out the list of things you can participate in celebrating the spooky season. There will be events held throughout October, such as a Halloween 5k at Avery Brewery, a drive-in movie night, and festive bites at local restaurants on Pearl Street.
We hope you have a safe and spooky Halloween this year!
Read more about Melton’s COVID-19 policies and safety measures here.
