Spirit Halloween is a local Halloween store located 196 Alps Road Beechwood Promenade Athens GA. Spirit Halloween has many horrifying pre-made decorations. Decorations range from cute to grotesque like the zombie heads pictured above. Photo by Julie Alpaugh.
By BRIA ECHOLS – Staff Writer
In preparation for this Halloween coming up on Oct. 31, here are five things to do before the holiday season begins.
Halloween is fast approaching and it is a great time to start preparing for trick-or-treaters, spirited activities and fall festivities.
1. Plan a killer costume.
There are many costumes to choose from. Vampires, zombies and black cats popular choices for costumes. Lots of local stores specialize in Halloween costumes, such as Halloween City. At Halloween City, costumes usually range from $10.00-$79.99. Thrift stores are an excellent idea for shoppers on a budget. America’s Thrift Store and Habitat for Humanity are useful to create DIY costumes. Favorite last minute DIY costumes include cowboys and iconic TV characters. The ideas are endless and best of all, they are relatively inexpensive.
2. Make some sweet treats.
It is key to have tasty Halloween treats. Halloween themed food can be a fun way to celebrate the scary holiday. Witch-shaped cookies and pumpkin cupcakes are perfect treats to share with family and friends during the celebrations.
Another necessary aspect of Halloween is candy. Reese’s, candy corn, lollipops, Jolly Ranchers and chocolate are awesome bucket stuffers that will please trick-or-treaters of all ages.
3. Pop in a scary flick.
Many scary movies are currently playing in local theaters like Crimson Peak, which came out Oct. 16. and Paranormal Activity:The Ghost Dimension, which came out Oct. 23. Checking out a scary movie before the holiday is a great way to get into the Halloween spirit. If you don’t want to pay money, classic thrillers like Scream, Poltergeist and Friday the 13th are often played during Halloween on TV.
4. Calling all thrill seekers.
Zombie Farms, Washington Farms and Wild Rumpus Parade are great places to go before or on Halloween. These places are great for those who love to leave their house for a thrill with their friends or family.
Zombie Farms, located at 568 Smithonia Rd, Winterville, Ga., is a good place if you are a fan of scary simulations. At the farm, the attendees are transferred to a post-apocalyptic world where zombies roam freely. Tickets range from $13 to $16, which may be pricy for high school students, but for those who love thrills, the fun is worth it
Washington Farms is located at 5671 Hog Mountain Rd, Bogart, Ga. Washington Farms is a family friendly place where people can go to pick pumpkins, visit the corn maze and do other fun activities.
The Wild Rumpus Parade is a parade on Halloween from 6-10 p.m. located in Downtown Athens that provides fun for the Athens community. This year the theme for the parade is “MONSTER.” If you aren’t trick-or-treating or want to go somewhere fun on Oct. 30, then the parade is the place to be.
5. Decorate with devilish decor.
Halloween and fall decorations are great ways to have having a great Halloween.
Spirit Halloween is great way to buy pre-made Halloween decorations to put in the house. However if you are on a budget, DIY decorations are great. Stores like Michael’s, Joann’s and Hobby Lobby have inexpensive haunted house decorations and the crafts to make DIYs.
Popular DIY decorations range from classic Jack-o-Lanterns to fake spider webs, all of which will give a cool look to your rooms for this exciting holiday.