3 Halloween Party Ideas |
Scare up some fall fun with these tips
October 31st is creeping around the corner and Junior has entrusted you with the task of hosting a hair-raising Halloween bash for him and his buds. The trouble is, your frantic fall schedule has left you feeling as one with the walking dead. Don't let the thought of party prep rattle your bones! Take in a few creepily creative (and frighteningly frugal) party ideas from Canada's foremost Halloween experts.
Take guests on a haunted walking tour of your 'hood
“Before hosting a walk, make sure to research the history of your area first,” says Michelle Desrochers, co-director of Canada’s Most Haunted Tours. “Interview people, ask around and find out where the ghosts are. You can even invite the tourism department in your city to help out.”
Once the spirited location has been selected - a nearby park can make for the perfect starting point - Desrochers advises that you and your ghostbusters gather with compasses and a few disposable cameras or cellphones. The host is encouraged to tell tales of the area's history while followers eye their compasses (known to spin in areas of ghostly activity), snap photos of their surroundings and search for cold patches of air, which frequently signify a haunting.
Review your ghostly findings over a few Halloween-themed refreshments. Hint: Look closely for mysterious specks of light hidden in snapshots, a telltale sign of paranormal presence.
Create your own haunted house
Turn your home into a haunted house that would have Norman Bates running for the back door.
Chris Pershick, manager of Potters garden centre in Surrey, British Columbia which is famously flipped into Potters House of Horrors each Halloween, suggests raiding your local box store for cheap props.
“For people who are a little more serious about props and materials, there are many, many Halloween-prop-dedicated websites out there with some amazing items,” adds Pershick, who reminds that sites like oyacostumes.ca, hauntedxing.ca and boneyardbargains.ca will arm the most frugal decorator with fabulous ideas.
Pershnick also advises knowing your target audience. “If it’s five-year-olds coming through, make your haunted house silly, goofy and fun. If it’s mid-teens, turn up the scare-factor.”
Host a harvest Halloween hoedown in your own backyard
If the Halloween season of your heyday was incomplete without a crisp trip to the countryside, hosting a barn-raising bash for the next generation will likely bring out the best in you.
But where exactly to begin?
“Pumpkins, pumpkins and more pumpkins” says Mark Saunders, Saunders Farm Director of Fun, whose massive family event, entitled Haunting, in Munster, Ontario attracts hoards of guests each year. “You can create great mood with scary pumpkin carvings lit with red and yellow bulbs.”
“Scarecrows also make for great décor using old clothes and a pumpkin as a head,” Saunders says. “Also corn stalks create great mood and atmosphere.”
Once guests have all arrived and a few preliminary games have been played (bobbing for apples and potato sack racing are two frugal farm faves), Saunders says a costumed neighbourhood parade is a must.
“Play music, sing Halloween songs and parade around your ‘hood,” encourages Saunders. “For example, have the young people create and perform a Halloween play or change the words to songs and make up your own lyrics,” he says.
How does your family celebrate Halloween?
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