Officially, Halloween takes place on Oct. 31. Unofficially, the days surrounding Halloween are also grouped with the holiday. Some enthusiasts have long been celebrating, but there are still plenty more activities to put you in the spooky spirit.
Whether you like to explore Baltimore or stay close to home, we’ve got a Halloween suggestion for you. For the more daring, consider adventures such as The Nevermore Haunt or a Baltimore Ghost Tour. Those who prefer a calmer experience may enjoy tonight’s Hampden HalloweenFest or Ottobar Halloween, both of which are free. Whatever your fear level, don’t worry: none of these recommendations are as scary as the homework that constantly awaits.
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“I never really celebrated Halloween at home, so I was surprised to find that I have my traditions at Hopkins. First, watch a good performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The Hopkins midnight show is always an entertaining — and bizarre — experience. Second, find something Poe-related. Last year, I went to the International Edgar Allan Poe Festival; this year, I went to tour the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum. Third, find some good Halloween movies to binge. This is the newest part of my tradition, and I’m happy to say that I now have the first three Halloweentown films under my belt.”
—Ariella Shua, Opinions Editor
“I always start every Halloween off with baking; whether apple pie or pumpkin bread, something about baking something in the oven always gets me in the Halloween mood. As for the rest of the day, there’s plenty you can do. The gothic quirk of The Bun Shop makes it the perfect Halloween day coffee and pastry stop. Why not try out Blue Moon Café for lunch? The interior decoration gives the best mix of rock and roll and horror vibes. For night, on the other hand, nothing beats making a home cooked meal and watching some spooky movies (I recommend Coraline!) with a couple of friends.”
—Ryan Aghamohammadi, contributor
“One thing my friends and I plan on doing every year is attend at least one haunted house sponsored by a frat. All proceeds go to charity or their philanthropy, so it’s a great way to give back to the community and have a fun and spooky time with your friends! Last year, my friends and I went to Sigma Chi’s haunted house, which was really creepy. Every room was decked out in decoration and the brothers were hiding in dark places to jump out at you and scare you. I saw my first year mentor screaming on the ground of the basement. This year, I went to Phi Kappa Psi’s haunted house for Camp Kesem with one of my friends, and it was a really great time.”
—Stephanie Lee, Magazine Editor
“I like to carve pumpkins and do all the fall related cooking activities. If I had kids, I would totally take them trick or treating/join them. Unfortunately, it seems I am a bit young for that, and I’ll have to settle with drinking tea and watching YouTube on my couch.”
—Jesse Wu, Your Weekend Editor
“Located between Mount Vernon and Charles Village, Green Mount Cemetery is the perfect place to do some exploring. Visit the graves of John Wilkes Booth, Johns Hopkins and other prominent figures. Make sure to keep an eye out for Elijah Bond’s unique headstone: a Ouija Board, which was first patented by Bond. The cemetery is free to visit and offers guided tours as well.”
—Katie Tam, Managing Editor
“I’m used to seeing houses, restaurants and people being Halloween-themed, but the best Halloween decorations I’ve seen this year have been in an Uber. It wasn’t anything remarkable on the outside — your usual gray SUV — but the second I opened the door I was greeted by colorful Stranger Things-y string lights covered by spider webs. The rear window had bloody handprints against it, with “help” scrawled in blood under them. I would’ve considered a jump, duck and roll, if the driver wasn’t just so admirably committed to the theme, because to top it all off, in the back seat sat a motion sensing scarecrow whose eyes turned red as he cackled like a witch every time we hit a speed bump (and we hit a lot of them). That trip made me wish I’d given everyone else four stars so that this one’s five stars would really matter.”
—Kanak Gupta, Staff Writer
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