The month of October calls for weeks of preparation and anticipation for the well-known fall holiday celebrated all around the world: Halloween. In honor of the spooky season, there are a bunch of opportunities to make the most of this year’s Halloween.
Anaheim is all-around known for the theme park Disneyland. The park had already put up their Halloween decorations at the start of September, and is welcoming all for photos with Disney characters in their special Halloween attire. A Disneyland trip, however, would be incomplete without going on any rides and Haunted Mansion would be the best ride suited for this holiday, especially for “The Nightmare Before Christmas” fans.
Outside of Disneyland, in the city of Anaheim, is the Anaheim Fall Festival and Halloween Parade that returns this Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Center St. There will be new parade floats, merchandise and a Halloween exhibit in honor of celebrating the festival’s 100 year anniversary. On top of being open to all ages and free admission, it is a worthwhile event spent with friends and family.
For those up for a thrilling moment this Halloween, a haunted house will surely give a fright. Wraith House is a haunted house located in Laguna Niguel and is open on Oct. 27, 28, 29 and 31 this year to keep you on your toes. The non-profit organization has grown bigger and yearns to help ones who need it most, donating their profits to the Aliso Niguel High School Theater Company and the Aliso Viejo Middle School Theater Program.
Social media and marketing coordinator for Wraith House, Murphey Arts and Charitable Entertainment Caylin Cholley shares why people should go to this haunted house: “You can really see the amount of work that goes into every little piece of the haunt. This year is going to be so exciting since the theme is The Basement, so I hope everyone is prepared to be scared!”
Pumpkin patches are just another way to set up the fall mood. Pumpkin City not only offers thousands of pumpkins to choose from, but also provides rides, such as Goliath Slides and Swing Rides, attractions consisting of a petting zoo and a “Panning for Gold” activity, game booths, including ax throwing and a ping pong toss, and a diner that serves loads of snacks. Located in both Laguna Hills and Anaheim, the farm will remain open from Monday to Saturday until Oct. 31.
Halloween at home is always a go-to if going out is too much hassle and watching horror movies is the best way to still participate in the Halloween season. “The Shining,” “It,” “The Exorcist,” “The Ring” and “Silence of the Lambs” are all classic horror movies that are worth watching. If horror does not seem like the best idea for a movie, classic Halloween movies such as “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Beetlejuice,” “Hocus Pocus,” “Haunted Mansion” and “The Adams Family” are all safe yet fitting movies to watch this season.
Pumpkin, cinnamon and apple are all flavors that call for the fall season and making baked goods will forever be a cozy contribution this spooky season. Desserts range from a simple apple crumble and pumpkin bread to an all-out apple and pear galette with walnut streusel and butterscotch pudding parfait with gingersnap crumble. Alas, baking the iconic fall dessert pumpkin pie will not only complete this year’s October checklist, but will also satisfy the fall cravings.
Jessica Chiu (11) shares her favorite baked good to make: “My favorite food to bake for Halloween is a pumpkin spice cake with cream cheese frosting. It’s perfect for the fall season and since I make this cake every year during the fall time, baking this dessert has become one of my fall traditions.”
Certainly, dressing up in a costume planned weeks before Halloween to go trick-or treating and carving jack-o’-lanterns never fails to make the Halloween season special. After all, Halloween is a therapeutic experience that comes around at the end of every October and is worth looking forward to with so much to do for this special day.
