From a house party to a movie night, Halloween celebrations that don’t involve going out

Burnt out from Halloween weekends? Sick of having to piece together costumes, order single-use props, and get ready to ultimately spend the entire night waiting in line or being shoved in a crowd at an event you spent around $100 on?

When the idea of “trick-or-treating” becomes obsolete, and the new sweet of choice is served with a splash of Cuervo, Halloween is less of a celebration than a money pit – or at least it can feel like that. Between time spent planning and the cost of going out, enjoying what some refer to as “Halloweekend” at a club or bar is comparable to that of New Year’s Eve or St Patrick’s Day. Ticket sales only last a few hours, and if the service fees aren’t adding an additional $20 to the overall price, the establishments are.

Ultimately, honouring the spookiest day of the year in a packed public place has become more of an obligation, with the cost majorly outweighing the benefit. That being said, “fear of missing out” is a real thing, and opting to stay back while your friends brave the storm of characters can be difficult if you’re factoring in the potential to be entertained.

However, like most other holidays, there are ways to enjoy Halloween night and save money simultaneously.

Here are a few Halloween-inspired activities to do instead of going out

Spooky movie night

If you’re trying to avoid all celebratory-induced partying but would still like to experience the supernatural thrill, why not do so with a marathon movie night? From Friday the 13^th to Hocus Pocus, generate a list of horrors and childhood classics centered around Halloween.

Enjoy the films on your TV or project them against a blank wall. Make spooky snacks filled with gummy worms and candy corn. Escape the obligation to dress up in a costume you’re not crazy about by reverting to the comfort of your sweatpants.

Nothing says Halloween like cinematic bloodshed, a friendly ghost, and a young teenager discovering witchcraft in a desperate attempt to save an alternate universe filled with unimaginable creatures. Just in case you didn’t catch on, It, Casper, Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, and Beetlejuice are just a few films that should make it onto the list of must-see Halloween movies.

Haunted house

Going to a club or bar on Halloween isn’t the only way to spend the night dressed up in costume outside your home. While you may not be able to find it in you to stand in a rowdy bar all night, you don’t need to lock yourself inside. There are plenty of alternatives – and a haunted house is a great option.

Whether nearby or a train away, your frightful night awaits at a beautiful manor turned horror house where you can still craft a costume and commemorate the holiday in an arguably wholesome way. But of course, if you did want to stick to the confines of your apartment, you could fuel your creativity to reconfigure your home into its own “haunted” self.

Assign a theme to each room and decorate accordingly, and then invite your friends and neighbours to enjoy the creepy display.

Gory cook-off or cocktail competition

For food lovers, Halloween is the perfect opportunity to put their flavour obsession to the ultimate test. A plated meal and colourful cocktail can look appealing, but the taste may not follow through. So, instead of focusing on perfecting the plating, embrace the disordered day by hosting a gory cook-off or cocktail competition.

Pick your favourite dishes and design them to be the most disgusting, unappetising concoctions that taste nothing like how they look. Imagine a plate of spaghetti to be brains or steak as a severed heart and pick which of the meals appeared the worst but tasted the best. For the cocktail competition, you can impose the same guidelines or encourage mixologists to craft fall-themed drinks with Halloween-inspired garnishes.

Adult trick-or-treating

Anyone missing the social aspect of trick-or-treating without the candy exchange shouldn’t have to skip out on the one night of the year where impromptu interruption is appropriate. Instead, you can adopt a more mature version of the activity that’s more like speed-dating than a soiree.

Convince your apartment building, floor, or neighbourhood to not only stock up on bags of sugary goods but drinks as well. Ask individuals to mix one-batch drinks and have to-go cups ready for anyone over the age of 21 to collect after they knock on their door – dressed up of course – and mingle. The drinks can include alcohol or be a mocktail of sorts.

Rocky Horror Picture Show musical or party

Last but certainly not least, pay homage to the lauded Richard O’Brien and Jim Sharman masterpiece by attending a Rocky Horror Picture Show live performance or throwing a party modelled after the excellent mayhem in theatres at home.

Check local showings and snag those tickets early to spend the night shouting backlines and dancing to “The Time Warp” surrounded by other theatrical enthusiasts. And if all seats seem to be sold out, put the film on your TV and pretend you and your friends are sitting in the audience watching the actors and actresses play the parts in real-time.