Halloween

The 2021 dates for Morgantown Trick or Treat have yet to be announced. 

To read more, see the City of Morgantown's website. 

Our holiday celebrations will look different this year. The CDC has laid out some helpful guides to follow when considering how, when, and with whom you will celebrate this holiday season. Find guides for

Follow these tips to reduce your risk of being exposed to, getting, or spreading COVID-19 during the celebration:

• Social distance and limit close contact
• Wear masks
• Do not use costume masks in place of cloth masks
  • Do not use a costume mask (such as for Halloween) as a substitute for a cloth mask unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers your mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around your face.
  • Do not wear a costume mask over a cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
• Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items
• Wash hands
• Keep safe around food and drinks

After celebrating, monitor your symptoms and take extra precautions. Consider consulting the CDC's After the Celebration Guidelines for ways to do this well. 

The CDC has weighed in on the risk level of varying Halloween activities: 

Lower Risk Activities:

These lower risk activities can be safe alternatives:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
• Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
• Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
• Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
• Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
• Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
• Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house

Moderate Risk Activities: 

• Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard)
  • If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the bags.
• Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
• Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
  • A costume mask (such as for Halloween) is not a substitute for a cloth mask. A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.
  • Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
• Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
• Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing
• Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
  • Lower your risk by following CDC’s recommendations on hosting gatherings or cook-outs.

Higher Risk Activities:

Avoid these higher risk activities to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19:

• Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
• Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
• Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
• Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
• Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
• Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
• Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19

Remember: "If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters."

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 21). COVID-19: Holiday Celebrations. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 11). COVID-19: How to Protect Yourself & Others. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html

Connecticut Children's. (2020, September 18). 14 Ways to Celebrate Halloween During COVID-19, Even in Quarantine. Connecticut Children's. https://www.connecticutchildrens.org/coronavirus/ways-to-celebrate-halloween-during-covid-19-even-in-quarantine/

HealthyChildren.org. (2020, September 28). Halloween & COVID-19: Have Fun While Staying Safe. healthychildren.org. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/COVID-19/Pages/Halloween-COVID-Safety-Tips.aspx