Guidelines for a safe Halloween in 2020 - Greater Seattle on the Cheap

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

Here are general suggestions for safely celebrating Halloween in 2020.

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 at risk of greater complications from COVID-19, be extra cautious.
If you do go out to celebrate Halloween, stay close to home (within your county), wear a face covering, practice social distancing, and keep the celebration short.
Being outside is good for you! Just remember to stay local and avoid crowds.

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.

Most counties around the Puget Sound region are in Phase 2. Some of the guidelines for Phase 2 include:

Gather with no more than 5 people outside your household per week.
Restaurants should be limited to 50% capacity, with table sizes no larger than 6, contact-less payment preferred, take-out or delivery preferred.
Indoor locations should be limited to 25% capacity (for example, museums, libraries, theaters, community halls, etc.).
For more information, visit: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/safe-start/whats-open-each-phase

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: https://coronavirus.wa.gov/

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.