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On the surface, Halloween is a holiday that exists solely for kids in cute costumes to collect hoards of candy, only to later turn into a sugar-crashing gremlin for their regretful parents. However, as an avid Halloween fan, I believe we should never have to age out of the Halloween fun. This spooky holiday offers enjoyable festivities and sugar-crashing fun for people of all ages.

As kids reach teenage status, the social acceptability of trick-or-treating begins to come into question. Whether it be because parents believe their kids are too old for the activity or because teenagers themselves begin to feel “too cool” to go door-to-door asking for candy— trick-or-treating becomes a youthful pastime. 

Furthermore, some cities in the U.S. have certain laws pertaining to trick-or-treating, including age limits prohibiting certain activities. A Virginia law states that anyone over 14 may not partake in trick-or-treating or any similar activity; otherwise, they will be found guilty of a Class 4 misdemeanor. Another example is in Belleville, Illinois, where a “Halloween Solicitation” law enacts a trick-or-treating curfew of 8 p.m. and prohibits anyone over the age of 12 from wearing masks.

Having said that, Halloween has so much more to offer than just being the one day, it’s okay to take candy from a stranger. From spooky films to fall festivals to carving pumpkins, there are endless, wicked-fun activities for everyone.

One of my favorite parts of Halloween is the films. I personally enjoy all things horror-related, however; there are Halloween films for everyone—from the bone-chilling to the not-so-scary type. 

This Halloween, movie theaters around Jacksonville will be showing varying films for anyone looking to enjoy both nostalgic horror movies and newer thrillers. The Cinemark theater at Tinseltown will show many spooky films, including the classic “Halloween” (1978), as well as “Coraline” — in order to celebrate its 15th anniversary. In addition, AMC Theaters at Regency show films such as “Smile 2” and Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

In short, there are options for everyone and anyone to enjoy on Halloween, especially locally. 

Another aspect of Halloween that is often written off as a kid’s activity is wearing costumes. While this often goes along with trick-or-treating, there is no objective reason that adults cannot dress up on Halloween. Throwing a Halloween party provides the perfect opportunity for young and old alike to get creative and put together a fun costume.

Putting aside any social stigma, people should be allowed to dress up and be whoever they want, even if it’s just for one day. Besides being fun to put together, costumes provide a minor break from reality—something everyone could use right now.

Who knew Halloween could get so deep?

Continuing on with Halloween festivities: pumpkin carving. While you have to time the event of pumpkin carving just right in order to ensure that your pumpkin will actually last until Halloween before rotting into a black, fuzzy pile— it’s a lot of fun. It does require getting a little dirty in order to carve out the insides, but then you get yummy pumpkin seeds to bake into a snack for later.

If pumpkin guts aren’t your thing, then another creative way to get festive is pumpkin painting— this works with plastic or styrofoam pumpkins as well.

Now, for my absolute favorite part of Halloween—which is often tailored to older crowds: haunted houses.

Many people may know of the infamous Halloween Horror Nights, which is hosted by Universal Studios Orlando, as well as their Hollywood site. It often runs from late August to very early November and is not recommended for children under the age of 13. 

However, tickets for this event can be pricey and do require a little bit of a road trip from Jacksonville. A more accessible option is the 13th Floor Haunted House, located in the Regency part of the city. While it does not meet the scale of a theme park, it still provides a taste of the adrenaline that comes from walking through narrow walls as creepy characters pop out at you.

Even closer to home, the University of North Florida has events available for students to attend throughout the week. On Wednesday, Oct. 30, Market Day will run as usual. However, the Student Union will have fun crafts and host a costume contest with the chance to win a prize. Sign-ups begin at 10 a.m. at the Market Days table.

Then, on Thursday, Oct. 31, Student Life and Housing and Residence Life have partnered up to host trick-or-treating around campus. More information on this event can be found on their Instagram page. 

The Writing Center will also be hosting an event on Thursday in order to celebrate their 10-year anniversary. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., they will have trivia, food and treats for any student to enjoy.

All in all, the season of Halloween creates the opportunity to have some extra fun— in ways that we don’t get to on a regular basis. Regardless of age or whether or not you’re into scary stuff, we never have to outgrow the excitement of Spooky Season.

So, eat your weight in candy, watch a good Halloween film and most importantly, stay safe out there. 

Happy Haunting, Ospreys!