Alternatives for the Anti-Halloween

If going out dressed up as promiscuous civil servants or walking around in lingerie with animal ears isn’t exactly your thing, you are probably not a huge fan of college Halloween. When we were kids, Halloween was that magical day you got to dress up as your favorite Disney princess or super hero, and battle your friends who could get the best candy all night. Now that we’re older and in the realm of college life and parties, Halloween has taken on a new meaning and new a level of intensity.

Don’t worry, you’re definitely not alone if you dislike the costume party scene, and Valley has some alternatives for you to celebrate the spooky night without it turning into a much celebrated rerun of Mean Girls. Animal ears optional.

Take a Road Trip

Still looking to get totally freaked out but don’t want to party? Get out of town, literally. Grab a few friends and get a ride and check out some pretty intense Halloween attractions just a few hours from here. You’ll be guaranteed have a much more memorable experience and be able to get the pants scared off of you as well (figuratively, of course, keep your pants on.)

About three hours from here, toward Philadelphias, is the Bates Motel – an attraction where you have three options of either going through an intense corn maze (a man chases you with a chainsaw, forewarning), going through the actual motel, or on a haunted hayride. Attractions similar to that are located all around both Philly and Pittsburgh, so do some research and make this this the freakiest Halloween yet.

Hand out Candy

Like kids? Want to relive your childhood? Perhaps something fun you and your friends could do Halloween night is hand out candy. Sure, this is Penn State, but there are still plenty of kids in State College that will be out trick-or-treating, and certainly won’t mind adding an extra stop to their route to get more precious candy.

Decorate your apartment or house. Look inviting. Stop at Walmart and buy a few bags of candy. This also gives you an excuse to wear a genuinely scary Halloween costume that doesn’t involve a mini skirt and not be socially judged. Also, think of all the extra candy you would have left over that you could have for yourself?

Scary Movies Night!

There is not a better thing to do this time of year than indulge in the best of horror movies. Right now, they are all over AMC and Netflix and Fearnet by the bundles – older movies, classics, newer flicks and even indie one’s you’ve never heard of. Put together a movie playlist if you will and prepare for one festive night. Close off all your windows with blinds and make your room as dark as possible. Break out the popcorn, and allow you and your friends to scream high pitched at all of the right parts. This night will definitely haunt you in your dreams and beyond if you pick the right movies (stray away from most of the indie ones though).

Photo by Jonathan Hsieh