Looking for Halloween fun in SLO County? Here are 8 spooky suggestions
This Halloween, the only thing scarier than ghouls and goblins is the threat of a public health disaster.
Concerns about COVID-19 have canceled several of the Central Coast’s most popular Halloween events. And the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department discourages people from participating in traditional parties or trick-or-treating to slow the spread of coronavirus.
Never fear.
There’s still plenty of freaky fun to be had, from online costume contests, pumpkin carving competitions and home-decorating challenges to socially distanced events.
Here are eight suggestions for how to spend your Halloween. All events are on Saturday, Oct. 31.
1. Go trick-or-treating safely
County health officials discourage going door to door for candy, but there are ways for families to enjoy a little trick-or-treating fun.
In Cambria, families can attend a Trunk-and-Treat event at the Pinedorado grounds, next to the Veterans Memorial Building, 1000 Main St., from 4 to 6 p.m. Small groups of youngsters accompanied by adults follow a trail of parked vehicles with open trunks filled with treats. For more information, call 805-235-1818.
Check out the new Paso Market Walk shopping center, 1803 Spring St. in Paso Robles, to get treats from businesses and snap small photos. For details about the event, which starts at 4 p.m., go to www.facebook.com/events/375125853672192.
In Old Town Nipomo, about 30 businesses will be open for trick-or-treating from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Also in store are a haunted trail at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Grotto, a hay maze at Nipomo Feed and live music at Old Town Brew. Visit www.facebook.com/events/1041067456339193 for information.
Looking for more? Foss Farm is offering drive-through trick-or-treating at 6 p.m. at 3300 Traffic Way in Atascadero, and El Morro Church of the Nazarene, 1480 Santa Ysabel Ave. in Los Osos, has a drive-through Harvest Land adventure from 4 to 9 p.m.
2. See a spooky movie
Although most movie theaters in San Luis Obispo County remain closed, Park Cinemas in Paso Robles has a few options for scary movie fans.
In addition to seasonal classics “Hocus Pocus” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” the theater at 1100 Pine St. is screening new supernatural horror flicks “Come Play” and “The Empty Man.” Tickets cost $9.75 to $10.25, or free for kids 4 and under. For details, call 805-227-2172 or visit parkcinemas.com.
“Hocus Pocus” and “Monsters, Inc.” are playing at the Hi-Way Drive-In, 3170 Santa Maria Way in Santa Maria. Tickets cost $4 to $10, or free for children under 3. Call 805-937-3515 or visit www.playingtoday.com/hiway-drivein for more information.
If you’re looking for grownup thrills, head to Sunset Drive-In, 255 Elks Lane in San Luis Obispo, to see action blockbusters “Tenet” and “Honest Thief.” Tickets are $10, or $4 for children ages 5 to 11. More information is available at www.facebook.com/sunsetdrivein, or call 805-544-4475.
3. Explore a haunted house
The Haunt in Atascadero, 5805 El Camino Real in Atascadero, offers a terrifying take on classic literature with its latest haunt, Grimm Reaper’s Scary Tales.
Tickets are available for shows from 6:30 to 11 p.m. and cost $12, or $40 for a group of four. Visit thehauntinatascadero.com/halloween-2020 for information.
In Templeton, the popular haunted house Nightmare on Main Street is back for its 10th year of scares.
Located in a 120-year-old house at 99 S. Main Street, Nightmare on Main offers nighttime Halloween hauntings from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door. There are also lights-on tours available from 2 to 5 p.m. for $5 per person.
For details, call 805-423-0674 or visit www.nightmareonmain.com.
4. Head to the pumpkin patch
Brookshire Farms, 4747 Los Osos Valley Road in San Luis Obispo, offers a corn maze, hay rides, duck races and other family-friendly activities from open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $15 for ages 3 and older, or $8 for seniors.
The farm has a night maze from 7:30 to 10 p.m.; admission is $15. Call 805-549-87333 or visit www.brookshirefarms.com for details.
Jack Creek Farms, 5000 Highway 46 West in Templeton, has a pumpkin patch, farm stand and family play area. It’s offering its popular Pumpkin Palooza to go this year; call 805-239-1915 or visit www.jackcreekfarms.com for details.
The Pumpkin Patch, 2315 Biddle Ranch Road in San Luis Obispo, offers more than 40 varieties of pumpkins and a four-acre corn maze. It’s open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit www.facebook.com/thepumpkinpatchslo for info.
River K Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze, 5670 North River Road in Paso Robles, is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call 805-441-3705 or visit www.facebook.com/riverkpumpkins.
5. Parade with your pup
Dress up your pups in their cutest costumes for a Halloween parade from 9 to 10:30 a.m. around the Atascadero Lake, and enter them in a free costume contest as well. Meet by the Pavilion by the Lake, 9315 Pismo Ave. in Atascadero. Details are at www.facebook.com/events/834781520396962.
Bring your kids and furry friends to SLO Brew Rock, 855 Aerovista Lane in San Luis Obispo, for a pet costume contest and trick-or-treating from 3 to 9 p.m. Call 805-543-1843 or visit www.facebook.com/events/994416154409518 for info.
6. Join a zombie hunt
Go hunting for gruesome zombies at Gladiator Paintball Park, 1 Sutter Ave. in San Luis Obispo. After battling the undead, zombie hunters can enjoy hot chocolate and snacks while watching a Halloween movie on an outdoor screen. The park is open until 10 p.m.
Registration is $25. Call 805-602-8629 or visit www.gladiatorpb.com for details.
7. Look for ghouls
Zombies aren’t your speed? The San Luis Obispo Department of Parks and Recreation has hidden multiple ghosts at four local parks for its Ghostly Ghoul Hunt. More information is available at www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/parks-and-recreation/community-services-events.
You can also participate in a Halloween scavenger hunt in our own neighborhood. The city of San Luis Obispo has a downloadable checklist at www.slocity.org/home/showdocument?id=28333.
8. Walk (or eat) for a good cause
Start off your Halloween with a drive-through pancake breakfast and costume contest, 8 to 10:30 a.m. Oct. 31 at Cambria’s Veterans Memorial Building. Admission is $5 a plate to help raise funds for a Cambria skatepark. For details, go to www.skatecambria.com.
Want to work up an appetite first?
Supporters are gathering in small groups at locations throughout San Luis Obispo County on Oct. 31 for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s fundraiser to raise funds for Alzheimer’s disease research. Go to www.alzorg/walk for more information, or contact coordinator Sonya Branco at 805-547-3830, extension 9679.
Woods Humane Society kicks off its Wiggle Waggle Costume Walk fundraiser between 10 a.m. and noon at the Bob Jones City to the Sea Bike Trail parking lot on Ontario Road in San Luis Obispo. Dress up with your doggos to walk or run the course; it’s close to five kilometers if you waggle all the way to the Avila Beach Pier. Register for $25 at www.woodshumanesociety.org.
How to stay safe this Halloween
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department offered guidance on how to celebrate Halloween while reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Here are a few safety tips from the agency:
- Limit contact when passing out treats.
- Leave a bowl of pre-packaged, individual treats on your doorstep for trick-or-treaters to take without people needing to knock on the door door.
- Maintain physical distance by giving out prepackaged treats using a “reacher” or “grabber” arm extension tool, a small zipline or a small slide.
- Treats should be commercially packaged, non-perishable treats.
- People who prepare goodie bags, should wash their hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds before and after preparing the bags
- Wear a costume with a cloth face covering or wear a face covering when someone comes to your door. A costume mask is not a substitute for a cloth face covering.
- Do not share food or drinks.
- Only trick-or-treat with immediate family members or one or two other people in your “social bubble.”
- Avoid gathering in large groups.
For more information, visit ReadySLO.org.
