As many outdoor events have been canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many students have been spending the last several months figuring out how to navigate 2020 while staying safe. Halloween is no exception, with many of the traditional parties and activities not being an option this year. Without the usual Halloween celebrations like costume parties and themed concerts, this year is full of tricks and no treats.
Nonetheless, several businesses have adopted safety measures to resume operations. Here are five spooky Halloween events prioritizing the safety of visitors for Cal Poly Pomona students to explore.
LA Haunted Hayride
This year, instead of the traditional ride on a tractor, the LA Haunted Hayride will offer a drive-thru presentation of “All Hallow’s Lane” with spooky sets and animatronics. Visitors will be viewing horror shows with frightening sets and prowling monsters surrounding the theater. In addition to staying inside their vehicles, guests must also wear face coverings at all times.
Due to the pandemic, this is the first Halloween ever where health is being prioritized more than anything else. With several safety regulations in place, Damian Ugalde, a first-year computer science student at CPP, said he thinks the event will be “safe because we’re staying in the car, and we have no contact with the people around it.”
The Haunted Hayride website outlines the safety measures that are expected of the participants.
The Bite LA
Located at Legg Lake in Whittier Narrows, this Halloween-themed food crawl takes place entirely in the visitors’ cars. The event opens with the Flashlight Creature Safari activity, where participants will be using a flashlight to look for monsters in the distance from the car. The event will feature a virtual campfire along with ghost stories and campfire desserts. Guests are also encouraged to participate in the car costume contest by decorating their cars with road safe decorations. For more information, visit https://www.thebitela.com/experience.
Knott’s Taste of Fall-O-Ween
For Halloween fans like Mariela Santillan, a fourth-year biotechnology student, visiting Knott’s Scary Farm was an annual tradition.
“Every year, my husband and I attend Knott’s Scary Farm for mazes and shows that they put on,” Santillan said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the traditional Knott’s Scary Farm has been replaced by a safer food-based event. The Taste of Fall-O-Ween is an outdoors in-person event that will feature the theme park’s popular foods like funnel cake and churros. This year, it is requiring visitors to follow its safety regulations, which include social distancing, temperature checking and wearing masks. For additional information on its health precautions, visit https://www.knotts.com/play/events/safety.
Urban Legends Haunt
The Urban Legends Haunt is another car-based experience at OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa. The event includes live performances as well as four interactive zones with horrifying sets and monsters. It will also enforce various safety regulations, including face masks for all car passengers and performers. More details are available at www.urbanlegendshaunt.com/#experience.
Vineland Drive-In
The Vineland Drive-In is a drive-thru theater featuring many spooky movies — such as “Possessor Uncut,” “Tar” and “The Wolf of Snow Hollow.” Though the theater offers a fun twist to streaming movies at home, the safety precautions will be self-enforced. For more information, visit https://www.vinelanddriveintheater.com/information.
Some students, however, think it would be better to stay home during this pandemic for safety reasons. “When it comes to attending physical events, I would probably just stay at home and watch Halloween movies with my family,” said Jessica Llamas, a third-year kinesiology student.
Halloween 2020 is a different holiday than it has ever been in the past, but these events can potentially help make the best of the difficult situation by providing more options for a safe and memorable holiday with events like horror-filled drive-thru experiences. Despite the limitations brought upon by the pandemic, students can still enjoy a spooky Halloween filled with monsters, thrill and fun.