By Reena Newhall
For The Signal
Could you ever imagine preparing for a Halloween season like this?
This year, Halloween will be set apart from all other years — specifically because of the COVID-19 pandemic and everything else that has come with it.
Even though we must remain socially distanced from each other, that doesn’t mean that we have to cancel Halloween altogether.
Now is the time for us to be creative. Show a positive spirit, and maybe invent some new traditions for your family.
Just remember: Whatever you do, if you’re excited about it and make it fun, your kids will follow your example.
A full moon out
This year, Halloween falls on a full-moon Saturday (How spooky!), which traditionally means huge parties. How about having a safely distanced backyard party? You can also look in your local paper — The Signal — for other socially distanced, drive-through events, like parades, trunk-or-treats or whatever your local community has planned.
The city of Santa Clarita, for example, quickly saw reservations fill up for its Haunted Highway event at George A. Caravalho Santa Clarita Sports Complex, located at 20870 Centre Pointe Parkway, a drive-thru event. But there are a number of other options for the family, and people can also stop by the Sports Complex to see Scarecrow Alley, a display put together from members of the community that will be at the complex Halloween weekend.
And just recently, Mayor Cameron Smyth indicated that the city would permit trick-or-treating, as long as safety precautions were in place. Now kids can dress up as their favorite superheroes — wearing a mask, of course — and secure lots of sugary treats in their quest.
Neighborhood fun in costume
Beware the Dark Realm is another great community event put on by a Saugus family and a group of volunteers who’ve all been spreading their Halloween spirit — via scares — for years. The home is free to walk through, but in years past has had a “fast pass” that offered a way past the line, with all of the proceeds going to a local nonprofit.
“The Dollhouse” is another spooky local effort that’s known as a “house haunt,” of which there are a few in Santa Clarita.
Club Fear is also an effort, based in Valencia, by someone who, every year, seeks to turn their property into a family-friendly scare factory for kids.
If you’d like to stay indoors, there’s an SCV Adventure Play Haunted House on Zoom will be an family option you can have fun with on Halloween with the kids, from the comfort of the home. The virtual event will have options for online group activities from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Costume trends for 2020
Even though COVID has altered our traditional Halloween celebration, A Chorus Line has learned from the National Costumers Association exactly which costumes are trending this season.
One of the unforgettable things to come out this past year is Netflix’s “Tiger King.” We think we might be seeing plenty of tigers, Joe Exotic and Carol Baskin costumes at some of our local Zoom parties.
Though it doesn’t get released until after Halloween, we think that Black Widow, a bad-ass woman superhero played by Scarlett Johansson, is going to be huge this year.
And the film “Hamilton,” since it was released by Disney+ after its original Broadway run, is sure to be a popular costume theme. Dress up as Alexander Hamilton or one of the iconic Schuyler sisters.
Because masks have been mandated in many parts of the country, wigs, exotic eye makeup and colored contact lenses have been much in demand.
Gaining in popularity within the past few years have been family-themed costumes (e.g., “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Addams family,” “Toy Story,” “Wizard of Oz” and, of course, superheroes) which are then used by the family for their current Christmas card — all in fun!
Zombies, vampires, ghouls and goblins will be back with a vengeance this year, also.
Always in style are the Roaring ‘20s — flappers, mobsters, gangsters and other “Great Gatsby” characters, which are now coming up on their 100th anniversary. While the “Pirate of the Caribbean” might not be as ubiquitous as in years past, Captain Hook, as well as Peter Pan and wenches are timeless family-friendly classics.
This year may feel different, but what better way to let off steam after months of being cooped up than by getting dressed up and living your alter ego.
Because of our immense catalog of products, only a portion will be shown on the website, but you can always expect to discover additional hard-to-find and unique items in our store.
A Chorus Line is located at 23300 Cinema Drive, No. 101, or available online at www.achorusline.net.
