The days of trick-or-treating are over.  Every year when Halloween rolls around, students look for something fun to do without resorting to walking around the neighborhood begging for candy. It turns out that there are many options for Halloween related activities.

Markoff’s Haunted Forest
Markoff’s is a huge attraction for teenagers during the Halloween season.  The site is in an open hayfield surrounded by dense woods. Markoff’s is open every weekend through Halloween and offers many activities as well as two 20-minute long haunted trails. While waiting for a turn to walk the trail, visitors can use tickets for other spooky attractions including a haunted bus, ghost hunting, a 600-foot zip line and a haunted hayride.
Junior Lizzy Krause works at the forest every weekend and gets to scare visitors on the haunted hayride.
 “[Markoff’s] is a completely family-owned business,” Krause said. “There is a great atmosphere and the forest is a fun thing to do with friends to get into the Halloween spirit.”

Homestead Farm
Homestead opened in 1763 and has been offering “pick-your-own” activities for the last 25 years.
“In October we are open for pick your own pumpkins,” owner Ian Allnutt said. “People can come pick a pumpkin from a real pumpkin patch.”
Homestead Farm also offers other activities such as a hayride, apple picking and a country kitchen for warm, home-cooked treats.
Homestead is an activity that can be enjoyed with either family or friends any time of year, especially around Halloween.
“My family has been going to homestead to pick pumpkins and fruit for as long as I can remember,” junior Casey Fitzgerald said. “A lot of families [in my neighborhood] go together.”

Nightmare Manor
The Manor, a new attraction in Beallsville, MD, has actually been around for 200 years, but recently started operating as a haunted house.
“This is our third year at our Maryland location,” owner Rik Davis said. “We were previously located in Virginia for five years.” 
Visitors come to participate in numerous activities, including a tour of the haunted mansion, a haunted corn maze and a walk through the haunted trail.
“There is no long wait and the trail lasts 30-45 minutes,” Davis said.
Nightmare Manor was picked by the Verizon Center as the best haunt in the region. The Manor is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Halloween and visitors who mention CHS will get $3 off every ticket purchase.

Host a Party
Halloween parties can be fun and there is no need for a specific theme, considering everyone will already be in costumes. Decorations and festive Halloween treats can make a party even more spirited and entertaining.
“I decided to throw a [big party],” said senior Ryan Gowling, who hosted a party last Halloween. “No one else was going to [have a party], mine turned out to be fun.”
According to senior Jessica Demayo, who attended the party, everyone wore costumes which made it more fun.

Get Crafty
There is no need to empty the piggy bank on a Halloween costume when it is easy to make one. Doing group-themed costumes can make the Halloween tradition even more interesting. Instead of going right to the store and buying a costume, use costume websites such as buycostumes.com as inspiration for a homemade creation. For example, a cowgirl or cowboy costume could easily be made with jeans or jean shorts, a plaid shirt and a cowboy hat. There are also many Halloween related recipe.  A homemade costume also may help a student’s chances at winning the SGA’s annual Halloween costume contest held during lunch on the Friday before Halloween.
There are many things to do around the Halloween season that will spice up and liven the spirit. By participating in Halloween-themed events, celebration of autumn and the end of the first quarter can be more fun and exciting.