Five alternatives to trick-or-treating

Five+alternatives+to+trick-or-treating

Story by Kristin McCasland, online co-editor-in-chief

 

When you were young, Halloween meant dressing up in your favorite costume and going door to door gathering as much candy as you possibly could. However, trick-or-treating seems to lose its appeal as we grow older. You can always go to Walmart and buy as many fun-sized candy bars as you want, so why spend your Halloween night getting them one-at-a-time from strangers? Here are five ways to spend Halloween if trick-or-treating just isn’t your thing.

1. Visit a haunted house
If you love the adrenaline rush that comes with a fright, visit a haunted house on Halloween. Not only are they relatively inexpensive, but haunted houses are perfect for last-minute planners because most don’t require a ticket to be purchased in advance. Texarkana has a variety of haunted houses, but the two most popular are The House of Horrors located at 5301 W. Seventh St. in Texarkana, Texas and The East Heights Terror Haunted House located at 5101 East Heights Rd. in Texarkana, AR.

The House of Horrors is open every night this week from 7-10 p.m. and admission is $10. This haunted house is not for the faint of heart, featuring terrifying clowns, zombie babies, chainsaws and strobe lights. Enter if you dare (or wait for your friends in the car).

The East Heights Terror Haunted House will be open on Halloween night from 7-11 p.m. Tickets cost $8 and all profits will go to Rondo United Methodist Church. Located in an old, creepy-looking abandoned house, the East Heights Terror is an extremely spooky experience. This classic haunted house features two stories of frights, including witches, deranged butchers, and more chainsaws. After going through the house, you can pose for a picture in the fake electric chair on the front porch.

2. Have a scary movie marathon
Whether you enjoy the classic ‘80s horror films or prefer the “Halloweentown” movies instead, there is no better time to binge-watch all of them than on Halloween night. Invite your friends over to stay up late watching cheesy murders or terrifying hauntings. Just don’t get too creeped out by that creaking noise coming from your kitchen. It’s probably not Michael Myers, but do you really want to find out?

3. Go on a ghost tour
If you’re a history buff, or if you’re interested in paranormal activity, a ghost tour would be the perfect way for you to spend your Halloween night. The Perot Theatre will host ghost tours on Oct. 30 and on Halloween night. There will be three tours each night and the first one will start at 8 p.m. Each tour will last approximately an hour and 15 minutes, so plan on staying awhile. Tickets will cost $15 per person at the door or $12 when purchased in advance. During the tour, you will explore the theatre and learn about the spectral sightings that have happened over the years, as well as some history about the Perot. It is advised to bring a flashlight, but doesn’t light scare away ghosts?

4. Stay home and scare trick-or-treaters
Were you one of those children who were constantly terrified by teenagers on Halloween? Guess what? You’re a teenager now. That means it’s your turn to be the scary one. Find all the fake blood, vampire fangs and hockey masks that you can and scare every child that comes to your front door. It’ll be fun.

5. Go to a haunted corn maze
If you have some extra time and money to spend, go to a haunted corn maze. The Dixie Maze Farms,  located in Shreveport, LA have some of the best mazes in the area. Their Fright Nights pass costs $25, but it includes access to many different Halloween-themed attractions in addition to the haunted maze. The maze itself isn’t extremely scary. The workers will follow you around and say weird things, but there are no chainsaws. The haunted trail is a bit more frightening, especially since you’re walking through the woods in the dark. This is a great place to go if you don’t want nightmares for a week.