For years people have celebrated Halloween as a day to get free candy and dress up in costumes. Celebrations were put on hold during the pandemic, but not all hope is lost. Below are a few suggestions for ways to safely celebrate this year’s Halloween.

Six Flags Over Texas

The yearly Halloween event thrown by Six Flags, known as Fright Fest, is back this year. Guests can enjoy haunt zones throughout the park area and Six Flags has set up a variety of haunted houses like Blackout, which is a maze visitors walk through in the pitch dark.

The week of Halloween, there will be Fright Fest events every day. A full list of those can be found at sixflags.com/overtexas/events/fright-fest.

Masks are not mandatory but are recommended for unvaccinated guests.

Autumn at the Arboretum

Celebrate Halloween at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s Pumpkin Village. This year’s village has been transformed into a Bugtopia, with 90,000 pumpkins, gourds and squash used to create bugged-out pumpkin houses and a maze.

The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m. until 5p.m. and has scheduled events almost every day. Face coverings are required for all indoor spaces due to Dallas County executive order, but most events are outside To get more information or to buy tickets you can visit dallasarboretum.org.

J & F House of Terror

Located in the Firewheel Mall in Garland, this haunted house maze attraction is only operational on select dates and is different every year. Ticket sales are sold online from Sept. 24 through Oct. 31 and are nonrefundable.

According to the J & F website, guests and staff are required to wear masks and guests will have their temperature taken at the entrance. You can purchase tickets and view more COVID-19 safety measures at jandfhouseofterror.com.

At Home

Those who don’t feel comfortable going out can still celebrate Halloween in their own home. With so many Halloween themed movies like “Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Hocus Pocus,” there are many opportunities to celebrate the holiday in a way that works for the whole family.

You can order out or create a holiday meal to eat around the TV. To add a touch of tradition, wear costumes that go with the films that were selected or have a family costume contest.

Classic Celebration with a New Form

A way to celebrate Halloween and loved ones who have died would be to stop by a cemetery and leave a flower or something sweet. Historically, people would celebrate All Hallows’ Eve by making a trip to the cemetery and cleaning up the plot in which their relatives were buried.

Hispanic tradition calls this celebration Día De Los Muertos, translated as “the day of the dead,” and focuses on talking and celebrating with family members who have passed way.

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