maMadison Kwiecinski 

Managing Editor 

Mvk5945@psu.edu

As we sit here entering October, it is finally beginning to really feel like fall. There are so many great things about this season, and it is one of my absolute favorite times of year because there are so many lovely seasonal things this time of year, ranging from food to weather to the activities you can go do.

I love my favorite Halloween snacks, the movies you can find this time of year, and all the things you get to do that just are not possible in different seasons. I have a lot of opinions of what makes this season so great, but listed below are just a few: 

You can be a fall girlie and a spooky season girlie at the same time 

There is, of course, a difference between a fall person and a spooky season person, but I strongly believe they do not have to be mutually exclusive. I love a haunted house equally as much as I adore a pumpkin patch or an apple cider stand. I want to wear cute orange sweaters and drink pumpkin coffee, while also buying cute ghost decorations and watching scary movies.

I have seen this opinion often, especially on TikTok when talking about making ‘spooky baskets’ because they claim people either want a fall or a spooky themed one. For me, this is just not the case. The cute orange blanket and sweet fall candle are just as important as the ghost themed sweatshirt and Halloween candy. 

Bad scary movies are better than good ones 

Okay, now this one I recognize is controversial. Everyone has their own niche category of movies they like around Halloween. Do not get me wrong, I definitely will flit between genres in this season, but nine times out of ten I want to watch a funny scary movie rather than a truly scary one. 

Zombieland, Hocus Pocus, Spooky Buddies, Scooby Doo Spooky Island, and do not even get me started on every Final Destination movie. Any Truth or Dare themed scary movie, or one with a completely bogus and see through plot is sure to be enjoyable to sit down and watch with friends. 

Sure, I could watch something absolutely disgusting and horrifying like putting on Human Centipede or watching Saw for the night, but I would always rather watch something funny and enjoyable. The jump scares are a bonus that make them have that extra halloween season factor, but overall my movies do not need to be scary to be the perfect fall film. 

Halloween Candy and Snacks 

There are some halloween and fall foods that stand out above the others. First of all, if it is apple or pumpkin flavored, I am probably going to love it. Sue me, I am always going to find a glass of apple cider or a pumpkin roll to be a perfect fall treat. 

Also, anywhere fall themed you can go to get the food makes it 100 times better. If you are at a pumpkin patch, visit the little store and buy a snack. An apple cider donut, spiced cider,  any kind of fall cookie or pastry is sure to taste better being purchased at a fall themed event. 

Now, the snacks they give out on Halloween. I mean to say snacks not candy, because candy deserves its own acknowledgement and for a moment I would like to specifically talk about the chips and pretzels people will hand out on the holiday. The little Utz brand bat shaped pretzels will always have a special place in my heart. Similarly, popcorn balls haunt my dreams all year long and I firmly believe they are one of the best snacks. 

Now for candy, I think it is just generally worth taking a second here to acknowledge that no matter what the holiday is, the themed and shaped Reese cups are a top tier candy. I love the little pumpkin ones at halloween. I also am most definitely one of the candy corn supporters, and the pumpkin shaped candy corn is one of my favorite fall treats. 

Time to address the costumes

As a firm Halloween lover,  I think you are never ever too old to dress up for the holiday. In fact, I think if you do not have a Halloween costume you are very lame. 

That being said, there are so many levels to Halloween costumes that are totally acceptable and great! I love the idea of going all out, and in life when I have more time to dedicate to it I will be the type of person who spends weeks making my own costume. 

That being said, I think you can make great costumes by simply finding the right clothes by thrift shopping and getting creative. You do not need a full face of makeup or the ability to sew to have a great Halloween costume, you just have to be dedicated. 

Also, I love group costumes and couple costumes! That may be a less common opinion, but even if the costume is a little tackier than what you would have done alone, it is so worth all the fun and group pictures that come with it. I want to see people dressed as princesses, the mario characters, show me a whole friend group as their favorite superheroes. There are so many options and there is almost always a costume you could create out of the clothes already in your closet. 

Favorite Fall Activities 

To name just a few, I think that first of all, haunted houses make the season. It does not even necessarily have to be a ‘house’ per say, as haunted hayrides and corn mazes would also make acceptable substitutes. Any fun activity where people dressed up in their best Halloween garb jump out to scare you is a great way to kick-off the season. 

Also, carving pumpkins is essential. You get to carve one which is fun in itself, then you can also bake delicious pumpkin seeds and even break the pumpkin down to turn into a pie. You can sit down with friends, put on a spooky movie, and carve away for a perfect fall night. 

If you want to turn the above part into a full day, I think another great fall activity is visiting a pumpkin patch. If all that is around you are the stands on the side of the road then that is great too, but taking the drive to visit a pumpkin patch is completely worth it. You get to pick out your own pumpkin, take great fall pictures, and there are usually so many other great fall activities on site for you to do.