What To Do? What To Do?

 

With COVID-19 still with us, and caution still important, communities and facilities are trying to figure out how to celebrate two significant events ~ Halloween. I’ve got a few ideas to consider.

Halloween

First, I’ll give you a little background to the idea.

·         Each year the community of Waterford Ontario hosts the Waterford Pumpkinfest. When Judi and I have visited this event, we were impressed by how involved community residents were. Many homes had fun carved pumpkins and Halloween decorations. (NOTE: This event has been modified because of COVID-19)

·         Each year the community of Meaford Ontario hosts the Meaford Scarecrow Invasion. The main street and some of the side streets are “alive” with scarecrows! Scarecrows can be seen on the street, store fronts, hillside park and even from the town’s lamp posts. (NOTE: This year’s event has been cancelled due to COVID-19)

·         The community of Buckhorn, held, a few years ago, an event called Colours and Crows. Members of the community would create different scarecrows and scarecrow scenes. A list of scarecrow locations was prepared, and visitors and residents were invited to try to find each location. This was like a fun, scarecrow “scavenger” hunt! While searching for the scarecrows, participants were treated to the areas spectacular fall colours.

I am sure that many other communities hold Halloween events, but do they allow for COVID-19 and “social distancing”?

So, here’s my concept ~ hold a combination of each of the above events, keeping the current challenges in mind.

·         Develop a Halloween theme for the whole community

·         Encourage all downtown businesses to decorate their premises

·         Encourage all residents to participate by decoration their home or balconies

·         Hold a contest for the best decorated businesses (perhaps the best 2 or 3)

·         Hold a contest for the best decorated homes (perhaps the best in different categories – kids, adults, etc.)

·         Create a fun “Halloween Scavenger Hunt”, one that both residents and visitors can participate in, as they “drive” through the community

·         Based on the community’s Halloween theme, have selected individuals or families create “secret displays” and then make up a “Halloween Scavenger Hunt” list

·         Have fun prizes that people can win if they find all the “secret displays”

·         Tie all 3 programs together in one event

·         It would be great if the town would decorate some of their facilities

·         The event could run two or three weeks

If you’d like further information about these concepts, please e-mail me at gary@ontariovisited.ca.