The Ryersonian has compiled five things you can do to keep your spooky season safe this year
As Ontario has now entered a second wave of COVID-19, many have seen their plans for Halloween cancelled. Numerous events during fall in Toronto have been shut down, including the Halloween block party on Church Street, the Riverside Halloween fest and many other major outdoor events.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford recommended against trick-or-treating in the province’s COVID-19 hotspots of Toronto, Peel and Ottawa, during an Oct. 19 news conference. He offered suggestions for trick-or-treaters elsewhere in the province while recommending alternative ways to celebrate for people in areas with high case counts.
For students who may still be looking for a way to enjoy the festivities Halloween brings, the Ryersonian has compiled a list of five activities to stay safe and still have a fun spooky season.
The Haunted Walk
The Haunted Walk is a company providing ghost tours of different locales in Toronto, Ottawa and Kingston, ON. A cloaked, lantern-bearing tour guide will lead you through some of Toronto’s most historic spots, including the Distillery District and the University of Toronto, telling ghost stories about each stop along the tour. The tours practice social distancing, with no more than 12 guests per tour. According to the company’s website, masks are required for both guests and tour guides, although the guides will remove masks periodically to tell stories. The tours run until Oct. 31st.
Toronto’s Horror Hallways
For a more traditional haunted experience, Toronto Horror Hallways in Etobicoke is offering a COVID-safe haunted house maze. The attraction is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights until Nov. 8th. COVID-19 safety precautions are listed on the landing page of its website, which include staff being assessed before each shift and face coverings required for all guests. Only one group of six patrons is allowed in the maze at a time.
Teleparty
For those looking to stay in this October, Google Chrome’s new extension provides a way to have a spooky movie night with your friends virtually. Teleparty, formerly known as Netflix Party, is a third party web application that allows you to synchronize your viewing sessions of various online streaming sites. Compatible with Netflix, Disney+, Hulu and HBO, Teleparty allows multiple viewers to stream the same content at once, with a live chat feature so that friends can watch movies, TV shows and other digital video content online together from the comfort of their own homes.
Shudder
If the streaming sites above don’t have what you need, Shudder is a new platform exclusively featuring horror and thriller content. Offering original productions, new releases and horror cult classics. Shudder’s subscription prices start at $4.99 for a monthly subscription, but has a seven-day free trial.
Dress up at home
Let’s face it, the safest option for everyone is to stay at home and limit time spent outside. There have been COVID-19 restrictions in one form or another in Ontario since mid-March, so the idea of staying in is not a new one. Over the past seven months, the demand for self-care has been felt more than ever. This Halloween will be very different than previous years, so self-care might look like putting on a costume just to stay home. You could also try a Zoom-call costume party, a spooky photoshoot around the house, decorating your apartment or even just getting dressed up to watch movies and eat candy. These are all great options for having a happy and safe Halloween.
