This Halloween is shaping up to be pretty different than the last. Many haunted houses won’t be opening, normal trick-or-treating probably won’t be happening, and many annual Halloween bashes have been canceled. But while it may look like Halloween 2020 won’t be any fun, there are still plenty of ways you can celebrate this spooky holiday!

To prove it to you, we’ve rounded up a list of our most anticipated Ann Arbor Halloween-themed events and seasonal activities for you to participate in this month. And, if you don’t feel comfortable celebrating with other people in person this year, we’ve also got a few ideas on how you can partake in the holiday fun safe at home. Happy Halloween!

 

Special Events & Seasonal Activities

Go to Trunk-or-Treat in Downtown Saline

Calling all ghosts and goblins—downtown Saline has invited you to the least-haunted, safest Halloween event of the season! On October 21st from 6:30-8:30 p.m., volunteers will be parking all along Main Street and filling their trunks with hundreds of goodies just for you and your family. As with everything in 2020, this event is subject to change. Click here to stay updated and to learn more about this exciting trick-or-treating event.

 

Get Your Glow on at ypsiGLOW

Photo courtesy of Wonderfool Productions

From the same team that brings us FestiFools and FoolMoon every April, ypsiGLOW is a light-filled celebration through downtown Ypsilanti. This year, due to the pandemic, ypsiGLOW is going to look a little different. On October 23rd, enjoy virtual creative experiences, public art installations and so much more while also staying safe! Click here for a full explanation of this year’s ypsiGLOW activities.

 

Learn Something New at an Animal Haunt

Who says you can’t have fun and learn something new too? Animal Haunt at the Leslie Science & Nature Center does just that! Join them on October 23rd, 24th, and 30th for a non-scary, educational and entertaining fall event. Show up in your costume and follow clues to help solve the “Black Walnut Mystery!” Pre-registration is required and while it is a candy-free event, there will be a special take-home gift for every child. Click here to learn more.

 

Go on a Kids Halloween Stroll

This year, the Village Arts Factory in Canton will be hosting a special Kids Halloween Stroll through the warehouse on October 30th and 31st complete with games, music, treats and costumes! Get your family dressed up (with facial coverings too, of course) and head to this funky artist space for a night of Halloween fun. Only two adults are allowed in per child and hand sanitizing stations will be provided at the entrance. Click here for all the details and to purchase your tickets!

 

Pick Pumpkins at Three Cedars Farm

Photo courtesy of Three Cedars Farm

Halloween just isn’t Halloween without pumpkins. To pick out yours this year, head to Three Cedars Farm! This local farm offers old-fashioned fun for all ages, including a you-pick pumpkin patch, a 7-acre corn maze, a barnyard playland, hayrides, train rides, bonfires and so much more. While you’re there, don’t miss the Donut Hut, where you can taste fresh, homemade donuts, freshly pasteurized cold apple cider, hot cider, coffee and icy apple cider slushes.

 

Explore a Haunted Drive-Through

Enjoy socially distanced trick-or-treating at its finest with a haunted drive-through at Ring of Steel in Ann Arbor! Planned for October 31st from 6:30-9:30 p.m., this special event will allow you and your family to stay in your car as you slowly roll past costumed characters, fire dancers and stunt performers. Make sure to bring your candy buckets—they’ll be handing out treats as you drive! Click here for all the information.

 

Get Lost in DeBuck’s Corn Maze

Fall in Southeast Michigan just isn’t complete without a trip to DeBuck’s in Belleville! Open to the public every fall, DeBuck’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch offers more than 15 acres of winding corn maze trails for you to get lost in. They have put several COVID-19 measures in place and ask that you stay home if you have any symptoms of the virus. Wearing a mask or face covering is required and social distancing between groups is highly encouraged. They are also not allowing walk-in ticket sales in 2020. Tickets can be purchased online through their website.

 

Get Spooked at Wiard’s Orchard’s Night Terrors

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Michigan’s premier haunted attraction comes alive again this October. Open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings through October 31st, Night Terrors features 89 acres of terror. The six haunted attractions include The Asylum, Hayrides of the Lost, The Ultimate Haunted Barn, The Mineshaft, Alien Caged Clowns and Splattertown Zombie Paintball; for all the details—including current COVID-19 policies—click here. Tickets are limited this year to help with social distancing, so it is recommended you reserve yours as soon as possible.

 

Hunt Ghosts at the South Lyon Cemetery

It just wouldn’t be Halloween without a few ghosts! This Halloween, don’t miss a special ghost tour at South Lyon Cemetery, where many of the town founders were laid to rest. On the tour, you will be guided to certain “haunted areas” of the cemeteries, where legends will be told. While this event isn’t closed to children, it may be scary for younger kids. Flashlights and cameras are welcome. Click here to learn more.

 

Other Celebration Ideas

Carve Pumpkins

Even if you don’t celebrate this spooky holiday any other way, carving pumpkins with your family is an absolute must. Head to a local pumpkin patch or farmers’ market, and pick up the perfect, locally grown pumpkin! Then spend the evening scooping, carving and decorating your brand new jack-o-lanterns before displaying them proudly on your stoop.

 

Decorate Your Home

While this Halloween may feel different than ever before, that doesn’t mean it has to look like it! Take a weekend this month to create the perfect “haunted” ambiance around your house. Place jack-o-lanterns all around your porch; hang giant spider webs from all the eaves; place fake tombstones in your yard; and even put up some orange and purple fairy lights to brighten up the space. Then, have your friends and family drive by to check out your hard work!

 

Drive Around to See Halloween Decorations

If your neighbors have spent as much time decorating their houses for Halloween as you have, then why not go out and appreciate them? Take a drive through some of our favorite neighborhoods and hunt for awesome Halloween decorations!

 

Trick-or-Treat in Your Neighborhood

Whether or not trick-or-treating is happening in your neighborhood can be difficult to determine. The first thing you should do is check out this Halloween 2020 website made by Hershey, which outlines the current COVID-19 risks in your area. If your area is in the green or yellow, you and your family may be able to go trick-or-treating this Halloween. If it is in the orange or red, you should probably look for an alternative—including leaving treat bags for trick-or-treaters at the end of your driveway, hosting a socially-distanced costume parade or a drive-through trick-or-treating event in your neighborhood.

 

Put on a Trunk-or-Treat Event in Your Neighborhood

If you aren’t able to go trick-or-treating with your family this year, consider hosting a trunk-or-treat event in your neighborhood! Have all your neighbors fill the back of their cars with plenty of candy and let children walk a few at a time through the neighborhood to stock up on sweet treats.

 

Watch a Scary Movie

If you’d rather keep the Halloween fun close to home this holiday—don’t worry! Settling in with a scary movie and some popcorn is still pretty exciting. For the kids, we recommend a not-so-scary movie like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus and the 2019 reboot of The Addams Family. For the adults, you can’t go wrong with The Shining, Get Out or The Crow—which is set right next door in Detroit.

 

Happy Halloween! 

While we know this Halloween is going to look a little different than ever before, we hope you still have a great time. Let us know how you’re planning on spending the holiday in the comments below!