OPINION: A USF guide to a spook-free Halloween
What do you think of when you imagine Halloween?
Scary movies, ghosts and haunted houses?
The spooky side of Halloween is deeply ingrained into the fall season, but what do you do when you don’t like these things?
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For those faint of heart like me, there are many ways to have a non-spooky Halloween.
The first thing you can do is change the attractions you go to.
Instead of going to Howl-O-Scream or Halloween Horror Nights and getting chased by a saw-wielding man, or visiting different haunted houses in the area, I opt for activities that don’t risk a spike in blood pressure.
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A calming alternative can be having a pumpkin carving party at your house.
Go to a patch or a grocery store with your friends and buy pumpkins to take home. Then, all you need is newspapers or a sheet that you’re fine with getting dirty in case it gets covered in pumpkin guts.
There are also events that you can do with the whole family. You can trick-or-treat at the Hillsborough County Fair for just $2 on Thursday.
Another option is Halloween Spookquarium, a daily event going on until Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Clearwater Marine Aquarium where kids can play games, do crafts, and trick-or-treat. On Halloween day, the Spookquarium will be open from 10-9:30 pm.
On the Tampa campus, the English department is hosting its Annual Halloween Party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Halloween day at CPR 343.
Students are encouraged to wear costumes. Food will be served and there will be a book swap. If you don’t have a used book to swap, the department has some free books to take home.
The Campus Activities Board is hosting a “Fright Nite” Bulls Nite Out this Friday from 8-11 pm at the MSC. There will be a Beetlejuice screening, interactive activities, zombie laser tag, fortune tellers and more.
The second thing, and one of the biggest for me, are the movies.
As I’ve said, I’ve never been one for horror, so instead I’ll opt for more family-friendly films.
Disney Channel has some great original Halloween movies that stand the test of time, like “Hocus Pocus,” “Twitches” and “Halloweentown.” The nostalgia that these films give me puts me in the perfect mood for autumn.
A spook-free spooky season isn’t just confined to films though. Toss out clothes that are gruesome and make a costume that is on the cute side, like a pirate from your last visit to Gasparilla or something you can easily rework from your closet.
Instead of pulling out the Ouija board, consider trying trick-or-treat bingo. This type of bingo has Halloween themed squares that you fill out with candy instead of bingo chips. To keep with the festive times, rather than announcing bingo, just shout “Happy Halloween.”
Related: Bulls’ guide to staying safe this halloween
Zombie Burrito is a dodgeball card game where “survivors” team up against “zombies.” You can also play the board game Clue or do good old-fashioned bobbing for apples.
From at-home activities to dressing up, there are a lot of options to fill your spooky season cravings. So take your fa-boo-lous self out, and have a fang-tastic Halloween.
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