Halloween Festival Good/Bad?

S.,
I still remember, to this day, going trick or treating as a pre-teen and someone made their garage into a haunted maze and we received a treat at the end. It was awesome and pretty scarry. I would recommend something like that. People would look forward to it year after year.
C.

S.,

I have been to neighborhood block Halloween festivals and they were a big hit. They started right after school and were done by 6 at the latest. Last year, the kids stayed together and went trick or treating as a group afterwards.
This year it's a "come and go" as you like from 3-6 and trick or treat on your own.

You are so generous to want to plan this, but as far as "open to the public" in your house, I have to say that's a big risk, especially with children in your home. Our family invites neighbors, school acquaintances, and "friends of friends" to our home, but never a public invitation.

Our Church is in a very safe neighborhood, yet in the last six months, we have had numerous breakins DURING services or activities. Whoever this is finds out when the Church will be open for an event and has slipped into the library to steal and pawn media equipment or broke into the Bishop's office looking for money. It still amazes me they didn't get caught because we have a small, tight knit congregation. Most people would immediately recognize a stranger, approach them and introduce themselves.

We know it's not a member of our Church because it's well known to the congregation that all donations are taken to the bank immediately after Sunday service and most people pay by check anyway. It's gotten so bad, we have to have security standing at all the doors during an activity and all children (including teens) need to be in the presence of an adult at all times, even to get a drink of water in the halls. Unless you live in a town of 500 people and you know them all, I wouldn't do it.

A good compromise would to be to invite friends and neighbors, the families of school classmates and your students at your gym and studio. The studio might be a better place to hold the event than your home.

Good luck,
S.

good idea, just make sure and get the word out so people can show!

If you can...make it for Friday the 30th vs. Saturday the 31st. I think you will have a much better turn out as kids won't have to decide between trick or treating and your event.

We had an Elm street in the town I lived in. Some of the homes had haunted houses in there basements or garage. They were short and we didn't miss out trick-or-treating by going to them. It was so much fun! I wish more people still did that. I say go for it! Kids will still find time to trick-or-treat and I think they would enjoy it!

Great idea! I'm planning an event this year too. Ours is not on Halloween night, so you're may be a bit more challenging. If you taylor it towards the younger crowd you should have a hit, especially if we keep having this crazy weather! Good luck and feel free to e-mail me if you need ideas! (our event is for the Early Childhood program in the area, so it will be taylored to birth-5 yr olds)

Good Luck,
A.

;

Great idea!

I disagree with those who say you can't get it done this year. If you are an organized person, GO FOR IT!!! Ask a few people to help you and you should be ready to roll~~~

Good luck

Good idea, but I agree with the other poster that you don't have enough time to advertise it for this year. I don't think people will show. Also, trick or treating seems to be back in style so you might want to think about timing it so that people could do both if they wanted to.

Good idea...if it is at your studio. And I agree, you don't have much time. Maybe wait until next year and advertise it more. If you were thinking of having it in your home, I definitely would not have it open to the public. You never know what creeps are out there. My friend was going to sell a TV on craigslist, and a man came to "look" at it...turns out he was casing the place to see what else he could steal, because he came back and tried to rob them. Anyway, for this year if you really would like to have a Halloween party, maybe you could send out invitations to your children's friends and keep it a little smaller. That way you know who is coming and wont be overwhelmed with people.

Open it up to people who know you. I would notlet my child play at the home of someone we didn't know even if I was there to supervise -- Just feels weird. Most people in our neighborhood who want to celebrate halloween in a more "open to the public" way, simply have an elaborate display in the yard or on their porch. And maybe have an outdoor fireplace going with a cooler of soda and a bowl of snacks. Then the parents can stop and visit for a moment while out trick-or-treating.

it's a great and very generous idea...you'd just need to get the word out. Do you know how you'd do that?

This is a good idea. You just need to start getting the word out now. Our Dojang does this every year for the students and their families and it is always a big hit. So I say go for it and enjoy!

Great idea--for 2010! For this year there's not enough time to get it organized and do publicity and love your family and be sane.

I know on Halloween we are hitting two different events; one is an indoor event taking place at my Alma mater in the late morning, they have games and treats on every floor of the dorms (really only get a handful of candy, which is fine with me) . The second event is actually trick or treating in the evening around 6ish. We might be going to a third event at our church called Trunk or Treat, some cars have treats in the trunk others have games.

My guess is you are planning on doing this at your martial arts gym and fitness studio. It depends on when you are planning on having the event, maybe have it at a different time then trick or treat or over lap slightly that way you might get a bigger crowd. If your community does not seem to have other events for Halloween day it could be a big hit. Fun, safe and indoors is always a win in my book... if you are very organized and can pull things together quickly you can do it this year otherwise put it on the calendar for next year.