Unconventional ways to celebrate Halloween

As Halloween approaches, you may be wondering how you can shake things up this spooky season. With Halloween being one of the most anticipated events as a college student, the holiday also comes with pressures on how to make it the most memorable each year.

Of course, there are always the classic staples like pumpkin patches and haunted houses, but this Halloween you may want a few nontraditional ways to celebrate. As a student, it sometimes seems like the only options are scrambling to get an invite to a Halloween party or having a scary movie marathon with your friends. But there are many ways to get creative with your Halloween celebrations in Syracuse.

Halloween Drag Brunch

Wunderbar is hosting a Halloween-themed drag brunch starring the performers Aggy Dune, Rhea Listic and Yuka Liptis. The event will include a buffet brunch provided by Countess Catering, tea/coffee and a show.

Where: Wunderbar, 201 S West St, Syracuse, NY 13202

When: Sunday, Oct. 29 from 12:30-3 p.m.

Price: $38

Halloween Roller Skate Party

Get your Halloween costume on and head on over to Black Mamba Skate Park for their “Let The Ghoul Times Roll” Halloween-themed night. Tickets include skate rental, beats by DJ JSmoove and the chance to win a prize for best costume. Whether you’re just a beginner or a seasoned skater, all skill levels are welcome. 

Where: Black Mamba Skate Park, 1 Lepage Pl, Syracuse, NY 13206

When: Friday, Oct. 27 from 7 p.m. to midnight.

Price: $30

DIY Haunted House

As Halloween gets closer and closer, many holiday stores hold sales to make sure they sell as many Halloween decorations as possible before the season is over. Take a trip over to Spirit Halloween or Party City, both conveniently located near Erie Boulevard, and hit the clearance sections for some decoration deals. Decorate your house or apartment with all of the fearful party favors and invite your friends over for a spooky experience right in your living room.

Buying tickets to haunted experiences can get expensive and hard to coordinate with friends. This way, you can enjoy Halloween with friends from the comfort of your own home in a budget-friendly manner.  

Spirit Halloween, 3196 Erie Blvd East, Syracuse, NY

Party City, 3409 Erie Blvd East, Syracuse, NY

Halloween-themed Spa Night

Since Halloween falls on a Tuesday this year, you might want to have a cozy night in after the festivities of the weekend before. The perfect way to unwind after the hecticness of Halloweekend is to pamper yourself with Halloween-themed self-care products. Give yourself a relaxing night-in by lighting the Ghoul Friend Halloween candle from Bath and Body Work’s Halloween collection along with their Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin body wash and Midnight Spell body cream. If you really feel like spoiling yourself, you can also use the Pumpkin Spice Clay Enzyme Facial Mask from Amazon. Just think about how refreshed you will feel after such a grueling weekend.

Halloween Fashion Show

By the time you get to college, you have a graveyard of old Halloween costumes begging to be pulled out from the back of your closet. It’s time to dig through the archives and plan a Halloween fashion show to put on with your friends where all of those used costumes can shine once again. If all of your friends put old pieces together, new costumes can be created and money can be saved. Beyond being a fun and creative activity, it’s also sustainable, countering the common practice of buying new costumes each year to never wear them again. This fashion show idea can even be incorporated into a normal day-to-day wardrobe. That old sweater you want to get rid of might be exactly the staple your friend is looking for to spice up their closet. Swapping items not only refreshes your wardrobe but also contributes to a more environmentally conscious and cost-effective lifestyle.

Halloween in Syracuse doesn’t have to be basic this year. Whether it’s going somewhere new in the community to celebrate or coordinating an activity to stay in with your friends, the possibilities are endless. Halloween is the perfect time for self expression, so it’s most important to celebrate in ways that feel authentic to you, regardless of what everyone else is doing.