I hate Halloween. There, I said it. To be honest, I’ve always hated it. As a #foodallergymom, Halloween has a whole new reason to be loathed. There has never been a year that I was excited about it, but as a parent, I have come to embrace the fact that my children really love Halloween and decorating our front yard!
One way I’ve made peace with Halloween is to focus on the activities besides trick or treating. For example, we go to as many fall festivals as we can find. This year, thanks to COVID, it’s a little harder, but not impossible. Here are just a few on our list:
- All Stew Leonards are doing a drive-thru Halloween.
- Stamford Museum & Nature Center is hosting numerous fall activities. Not only are they doing Sunday Fall Fests, but they’re also doing a campout and Drive-in Movies.
- New Canaan Nature Center is doing a Halloween Eve event. Also, be sure to check out New Canaan Parks and Rec since they have some family events planned.
- Boo Your Neighbor with the Young Women’s League of New Canaan. We’re also going to do our own booing of friends.
- Corn Mazes are located all around the state. Most of these corn mazes also have apple and pumpkin picking.
- Boo at the Zoo (Bronx Zoo).
Most importantly, we participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project organized by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). Every year, both my children proudly paint a pumpkin a vibrant teal to show that we are a safe place to stop. Although this year, it’s unlikely many, if any, will be trick or treating house to house, but we will continue to spotlight our teal pumpkin.