Halloween in a pandemic is scarier than ever! Especially for folks trying to plan a fun but socially-distanced Halloween gathering. Whether or not people go out to party and trick-or-treat on Halloween this year remains to be seen, but for those looking to host a Halloween event that doesn’t offer more than spooky surprises (like a positive COVID test), consider these small gathering ideas…
Pumpkin Carving Competition
What says Halloween more than leering Jack-o-Lanterns? Imagine a party where guests arrive with carved pumpkins to enter for judging against other party-goers. Establish judging categories for scariest, weirdest, most creative, cutest, and rudest Jack o” Lanterns.
Or take it a step further and make a party out of the pumpkin carving experience. Create socially-distanced stations where guests gut the pumpkins and decorate them with glitter, paints, and more.
Round out the party with scary pumpkin treats like pumpkin pies, roasted flavored pumpkin seeds, and flavored coffees. Or have fun with the Jack O’Lantern theme with creative single-serve dishes like pumpkin deviled eggs.
Haunted House Drive-Thru
If you’d like to fully embrace the coronavirus experience like so many of our friends in the restaurant and tavern business, host a Haunted House Drive-Thru. This is an especially relevant idea for those living in suburban neighborhoods and in Vermont’s villages and small towns.
Guests will be perfectly safe from the virus but experience zombies pile onto their car outside, witches cackle in the distance, and axe murderers chase their car. It won’t hurt if you throw in killer clowns and evil witches, too.
Drive-thru treats could include individually-wrapped Rice Krispies treats (ghoulishly decorated, of course), Halloween-themed sugar cookies, sticky popcorn balls. Or step it up with our favorite annual trick-y treat, “bloody fingers” — hot dogs prepped to look like human digits!
Scary Movie Night
While showing horror flicks on Halloween isn’t a new idea, how you do it might be novel, at least for 2020. The movie night could be a drive-through experience or a seated one, as long as it’s easy to socially distance. Favorite films for a fright night include the usual slasher films, and perennial holiday favorites for families include Goosebumps, Hocus Pocus, and the Tim Burton greats Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Serve some red (blood) sugar-coated or kettle cooked popcorn, Devilish deviled eggs with food-colored filling, or fill individual trick-or-treat bags with candy and props. Or boost your spooky “cred” with funny monster-head sandwiches for a more substantial (and frightening) snack.
Let bevo help
All of these events might sound fun, but we know that even small events can be difficult to arrange. That’s why we’re here! Call us at bevo Vermont Catering & Events and we’ll be happy to discuss your ideas and ours for your a fun and relaxing get-together.
