DC recently released guidance for residents who want to celebrate Halloween and Día de Los Muertos. Traditional trick-or-treating is discouraged, as are communal bowls of candy, but there are plenty of creative ways you can celebrate. Here are some suggestions for how you can put a fun spin on the guidance!
Decorate Your House
Decorating your house and yard is first on the low-risk list. It’s an easy and fun way to get into the Halloween spirit, and provide some fun for the whole neighborhood.
Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. You can grab a couple bags of fake cobweb from the local grocery store for under $4.00 to add an eerie vibe, or take advantage of one of the easy DIY ideas in our article on cheap ways to decorating your house.
And once you’ve decorated your home, don’t forget to enter our Mount Pleasant & Columbia Heights Halloween Decorating Contest. We’re giving away some great prizes (including $500 to the Overall Best In Show, thanks to our 1st place prize sponsor Viva the Life Properties).
Grab & Go Trick-Or-Treating
Grab-and-go trick-or-treating is considered medium risk. You could put individual treat bags on your walkway or create a candy shoot for your railing! Neighborhoods around the District are creating these fun candy delivery systems.
Household Photo Shoot
Want to share your awesome costumes with the world? Have a Halloween family photoshoot! Set up funny or scary scenes based on your outfits. Families with little ones can encourage their kids’ creativity by letting them be the shoot’s art directors! Post the photos on social media using #HalloweenDC and compete with your friends for the most likes.
Participate In The Columbia Heights Costume Walk
Rumor has it that the local ANCs are organizing a socially-distant costume walk from 4-7pm on Halloween. Different than a parade, a costume walk is a designated route that families can walk starting at any point during the timeframe and you join in from your home (rather than a single group starting location). This helps make sure people are spread out throughout the timeframe.
Walk along the spooky path for some safe treats from neighbors and businesses, you may even see a ghost or two along the way! Stay tuned for more details–we’ll share them as soon as we have them.
Remember, stay home if you are sick! A costume mask does not substitute for a surgical mask or cloth face covering. Find a new way to celebrate that keeps our community safe!
