Many traditional Halloween celebrations and activities happen in groups, from neighborhood trick-or-treating to indoor community festivals to corn mazes and haunted houses.
Data from the CDC shows that holiday gatherings over this summer resulted in a spike in COVID-19 cases about 10 days after Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day. Listed below, we suggest safer alternatives to reduce the risk of spread.
Listed below are cautions, guidelines, and suggestions for celebrating Halloween safely. These come from national, state, and local agencies concerned about the health and safety of our communities.
In 2020, we all know that staying home is still safest. But we found lots of suggestions for alternative ways to have fun and stay safe.
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Young girl peers into a Halloween pumpkin – DepositPhotos.com
Guidelines for safe Halloween celebrations
On June 30, 2021, Washington state fully reopened and all industry sectors previously covered by the Roadmap to Recovery Phased Reopening (with limited exceptions for large indoor events) returned to usual capacity and operations. This does not include masking, which will continue under current guidance.
Here are general suggestions for safely celebrating Halloween in 2021.
- If you have a fever or feel unwell, STAY HOME. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, get tested.
- If you or members of your household are unvaccinated or at risk of greater complications from COVID-19, be extra cautious.
- Being outside is good for you!
- Check the website or flyer for the location or event where you are planning to celebrate. Make sure they have safety procedures in place, such as face masks, social distancing, sanitizing, and other precautions.
- If in doubt, choose another activity or STAY HOME.
Practice safety guidelines wherever you go:
- Stay at least six feet away from others.
- Always wear a face mask when you are indoors.
- Always wear a face mask when you are outdoors AND less than 6 feet apart from others.
- Wash or sanitize your hands often (such as after touching surfaces).
- For more information, visit: Washington State Coronavirus Response (COVID-19)
Safe alternatives to traditional Halloween fun
Here is a list of ideas for celebrating in other ways, followed by more Halloween things to do and events around the Puget Sound region.
- Candy scavenger hunt at home
- Halloween movie night at home
- Online costume contest
- Online pumpkin carving contest
- Drive-thru pumpkin patches
- Contactless (and safely distanced) trick-or-treating in your immediate neighborhood; accept only commercially packaged candy
- One-way, no-touch corn mazes
- One-way, no-touch haunted houses
- For more information, visit: https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/1600/coronavirus/HalloweenTips.pdf and https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/COVID19%20Phase%202%20Agritourism%20Guidance.pdf
But wait, there’s more!
- Our big list of Halloween haunted houses, corn mazes, spooky tours
- Free and cheap Halloween events around Puget Sound
- Scary (and not-so-scary) movies for a Halloween night at home
- 100+ cheap and fun DIY ideas for Halloween costumes
- Guidelines for safe Halloween celebrations in 2020
- And here’s a list of 101+ always free things to do for fun.
- More free and cheap things to do every day: Greater Seattle on the Cheap event calendar.
- Still more ideas for frugal fun: Greater Seattle on the Cheap home page.
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Halloween events around Puget Sound
Free and cheap Halloween events and things to do around the Puget Sound region. We continue to add events through the month of October as details become available.
