Getty Images / gpointstudio
Halloween is almost here in Florida, and it's a fun time to embrace the spooky season and celebrate all things haunted. Of course, you can make it as scary or not-so-scary as you wish. Plenty of people, myself included, absolutely love Halloween but aren't into getting to freaked out. Then, there's also the Halloween enthusiasts who absolutely love going to haunted houses and getting scared silly. So, whether you want to have a frightening holiday or play it safe, there are some things to do.
Florida Halloween Fun
Tampa and Fort Myers Attractions
If you're looking for a different kind of event, the second annual "Halloween Shop N' Crawl" Family & Pet Trick or Treating Event is set for Thursday, Oct. 24, at Smilin' Dog Bakery, located at 4947-4951 Tamiami Trail North in Naples. The Fort Myers' Halloween Pub Crawl takes place Saturday, Oct. 26, at City Tavern, located at 2206 Bay Street in Fort Myers. It's a fun, Halloween-themed pub crawl.
The Tampa Theatre hosts A Nightmare on Franklin Street now through Halloween night. Expect "Halloween classics, ghost tours, eerie stage shows and spooky storytelling." Also, the Tampa Riverwalk has trick-or-treating on Saturday, Oct. 26, from Water Works Park to Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
Halloween Activities You Can Do at Home
If you don't want to go out there and fight the crowds, as they say, you can always stay home and do a Halloween activity with friends or family. Many people have Halloween traditions of carving pumpkins. I used to do this but haven't in a long time. Carving pumpkins is a great activity for kids, but it can be fun for adults, too. You can switch up the designing by having everyone carve their favorite sports team logo or even band logo. It would be difficult to carve a death metal band logo into a pumpkin, though. Have you seen those logos? If so, you know what I'm saying.
Another way to enjoy the holiday at home is to watch classic horror movies. You, of course, may also watch modern horror movies, but this is really the perfect time of year to watch an Alfred Hitchcock film. When I was in middle school, my mom and I took a whole week and watched nothing but Hitchcock movies. They are so legendary and really set the stage for horror films to come. My favorite is "Rear Window." According to the editors at Rotten Tomatoes, the most popular Hitchcock movie of all time is "Shadow of a Doubt." I totally thought it would be "The Birds" or "Psycho." Contact me with your favorite Halloween activities.
