As October settles in, all anyone can think about is Halloween. The decorations, the lights, the scares, the candy–all of it is what makes Halloween so fun and so memorable, especially for many youth. But this doesn’t mean Halloween is limited to kids. Whether you enjoy trick-or-treating, going to haunted houses, or spending the night passing out candy, Halloween has something for everyone.  

One of the most common activities seen on Halloween is trick-or-treating, a tradition that dates back to the 1920s here in North America. Tons of kids love going trick-or-treating because they get to dress up as whatever they want, and get fistfuls of candy, which to a young kid is the dream. A common worry that parents share when trick-or-treating is finding the perfect neighborhood, one that has a lot of participating houses, isn’t too crowded, and most importantly, is safe. A good neighborhood that meets these standards is downtown Huntington Beach, which is known for its Halloween event that includes trick-or-treating, a costume contest, and a “Monster March.”

Now, this all sounds very fun and appealing–but what about safety? Well, part of the event in downtown Huntington Beach is a meet-and-greet with the HB Fire and Police Department, so parents don’t need to worry about the safety of this event since there are firefighters and police, ready to protect, and spend time with their children.

Another great neighborhood for trick-or-treating is Old Towne Orange. Old Towne Orange is known for its annual “Treats in the Streets” event, which is the communal trick-or-treating event in the Old Towne Orange Plaza. This happens the day before Halloween, and it is a fun and safe place for kids to trick-or-treat, as this is located in the city of Orange, CA, which has a significantly low crime rate compared to the national average. 

Aside from Trick-or-Treating, an activity that gains popularity as Halloween gets closer, haunted houses. Haunted houses are much more popular among adolescents, especially teenagers and young adults, because of their fun and scary plots. Elizabeth Horner (10) lives in Brea and describes the fun her family has on Halloween: “My family puts on a haunted house in our backyard for trick-or-treaters on Halloween, my family enjoys running it, and the trick-or-treaters love the experience!”

People love going to haunted houses for the thrill and the scares, since you never know what is going to jump out at you or pop out and scream! In the case of the Horner’s haunted house, it may just be Elizabeth who scares you on Halloween. Aside from the Horner’s haunted house, some of the best haunted houses in Orange County include Reign of Terror haunted house, The Queen Mary Dark Harbor haunted house, and The 17th Door. All three of these locations are known for their spooky Halloween events throughout October. The Reign of Terror haunted house has 12 different haunts, including the Bayou, Vampire’s Layer, Possession, Unhallowed Ground, and many more.

The Queen Mary haunted house is a little different because this event features haunted mazes, hundreds of monsters, carnival rides, and more. These mazes and monsters are fun, but the star of the show is the Queen Mary haunted theatrical experience, otherwise known as The Summoning of Samuel. The Queen Mary is already known for being haunted, so with the mazes and spooky monsters, this event is perfect if you enjoy the thrill of a jump scare.

Lastly, The 17th Door is located in Buena Park and has a different storyline each year. This year, The 17th Door takes place at Perpetuum Penitentiary, where darkness has overcome the prison and all its inmates. This year, the haunted house is also getting turned into a reality TV show, entirely centered around the crazy haunted house and those who enter. 

Despite how fun haunted houses and trick-or-treating are for some, others prefer to spend Halloween in their house, cozied up. A popular thing to do when staying home for Halloween is to watch scary, or at least Halloween-related, movies. Renata Padilla (9) doesn’t really go out on Halloween. “I get scared very easily, so I prefer to stay in on Halloween. Watching Halloween movies just seems more fun than being scared to death, in my opinion.”

Like Renata, there are a lot of people who prefer to stay in on Halloween, but that doesn’t mean they have to miss out on all the fun. There are tons and tons of Halloween movies, but these are some of the most popular that are definitely worth watching this Halloween. For the horror movies, some popular ones include Scream 1-6, It, The Conjuring 1-4, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Terrifier, Halloween, and Annabelle. These are some pretty scary movies that people enjoy watching for the fun and thrill of it. On a night that is meant to be dark and spooky, these movies are perfect for staying in.

Some sweeter, more fun, and possibly more family-friendly Halloween movies include The Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, Hocus Pocus, Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie, Twitches, Casper, The Addams Family, and Beetlejuice. These movies still have the Halloween essence while being more light-hearted for those who don’t like horror movies. They are also fun to watch on Halloween night because even though they aren’t necessarily as dark and creepy as horror movies, they still have the fall and Halloween vibe that makes staying in and watching these movies so fun. 

Whether you choose to go out or stay in on Halloween, the night holds something for everyone. No matter if you stay home and watch movies, trick-or-treat, or go to a haunted house, you will find fun on Halloween; in fact, it may just be waiting for you in every neighborhood you visit, every room you enter, or every movie you click on.