In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding communities have come together to offer safe, socially distanced Halloween events.

The City of Santa Clarita has created “Haunted Highway” and “Scarecrow Alley” events as free, physically distanced alternatives to traditional Halloween activities. “Haunted Highway” is a drive-thru family-friendly event set to feature props and live actors. 

At the end of the 15-minute drive-thru, each vehicle is scheduled to receive a to-go bag with treats and crafts. The event is set to take place Oct. 29 and Oct. 30 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Registration is closed for “Haunted Highway”. 

“Scarecrow Alley” is a scarecrow competition in which families, nonprofits and businesses are encouraged to create their own scarecrows and submit them for a chance to win prizes from the City. 

Entries are closed for the “Scarecrow Alley” contest, but the scarecrows are set to be displayed at the Haunted Highway. Additionally, they are scheduled to be available for public viewing at the Santa Clarita Sports Complex on Oct. 31 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

If trunk-or-treating is more your speed, Santa Clarita’s chapter of the Loyal Order of the Moose plans to hold a Trunk-or-Treat on Oct. 31. Masked and gloved volunteers are set to hand out candy to children from themed cars. Sanitizer stations are also scheduled to be made available. 

The Mint Canyon Moose Lodge is also looking for candy and decoration donations, as well as volunteers for the event, which is set to take place on Oct. 31, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. 

See Related: Moose Lodge To Hold Socially-Distanced Halloween Trunk-Or-Treat Event

This year, Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation is scheduled to hold several free family-friendly Halloween events throughout the County compliant with COVID-19 restrictions. 

Participants must register for Grab-n-Go events, which are drive-thrus where children under the age of 18 are set to receive goodie bags with crafts and candy amongst other things. Each vehicle is also set to receive a pumpkin. In Santa Clarita, a Grab-n-Go is planned to be available at Val Verde Park in Castaic on Oct. 31 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Drive-in movie events, which require participants to register before attending, have also been planned by LA County Parks and Recreation. Movies featured include a variety of children’s films. 

The Oct. 30th drive-in movie screening in Santa Clarita at Vasquez Rocks Park has no room for additional participants, but other events are also available around LA County. The events are scheduled to take place on either Oct. 29, Oct. 30, or Oct. 31 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Scavenger Haunts are set to take place at several nature centers throughout Los Angeles from Oct. 22 to Nov. 1, including Vasquez Rocks Nature Center and Placerita Canyon Nature Center in Santa Clarita. Scavenger Haunts do not require registration beforehand. 

For registration information and Scavenger Haunt clues, visit LA County’s Halloween event page. 

Unlike in previous years, Halloween experience “Beware the Dark Realm” will not feature a full-length maze in 2020. In order to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, the event is set to be a visual display, according to the event page. The event is set to be open on Friday, Oct. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 31 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

All proceeds are set to go towards Family Promise of Santa Clarita, a nonprofit that provides shelter, meals, support and case management for local homeless children and their families.

Other Santa Clarita Valley Halloween events include the Gilchrist Farms Pumpkin Patch.

Organizers have expanded the pumpkin patch to make it more spacious this year so guests can spread out and enjoy the patch safely, according to the website.  The pumpkin patch is free of charge to enter and will be first-come, first-serve with capacity limits enforced to keep everyone safe.  Open daily from September 26th through Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Additionally, the Maravilla Latin Cuisine food truck is scheduled to be at Gilchrist Farms from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health advises residents to celebrate Halloween as safely as possible. 

“Trick-or-treating and trunk or treating are not safe during a pandemic, and we strongly recommend that you not participate in these activities since they carry the risk of increased exposure to the virus through crowding, mixing with non-household individuals, and communal food handling,” read a statement released Monday.

Public health officials suggest that revelers instead participate in a virtual party, take a walk (socially distanced and masked) or a drive around their neighborhood to see decorated houses, hold a scavenger hunt for children at home where they can find their treats, or attend a special Halloween drive-in movie. 

Parties, haunted houses, carnivals, and other larger gatherings are “not safe” this Halloween and are not permitted under the Health Officer Order.

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