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Halloween Decorations and Events Ignite Spooky Spirit Across the Country
· Confirmed
In Short: Despite the challenges, the Halloween spirit remains strong, with families and communities coming together to celebrate the spooky season in unique and creative ways.
Halloween enthusiasts in Gilbert, Arizona, are facing unexpected challenges as strong winds have damaged their elaborate decorations. Leah Nuckolls, who has been decorating for nearly two decades, and her neighbor Barnhart, both expressed their determination to keep their spirits high despite setbacks.
Nuckolls noted, 'We literally don’t get weather here until after October 1st when the decorations start, and then you get weather all month and every day you just walk up to see like, oh, what’s destroyed today.' Barnhart added, 'We’ve had things break. The rains broke stuff. We’ve had metal things. We stake everything down pretty good, but stuff snapped.'
Meanwhile, at the Waimānalo Country Farms in Hawaii, families are enjoying a fall harvest festival with spooky cocktails like The Crypt Keeper and Beetle Juice, available after 8 p.m. for those 21 and over. The event offers a family-friendly atmosphere with $10–$12 kama‘āina admission, inviting visitors to partake in the Halloween spirit.
In Excelsior, Minnesota, the Lake Minnetonka Chamber of Commerce kicked off the spooky season with the Spooky Sprint one-mile and 5K race. Attendees were treated to s'mores, a hot cocoa bar, fire pits, giveaways, and appearances by characters like the Teletubbies and sun baby Xander.
At the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the 21+ Spirits & Skeletons event is returning for a hauntingly good time, featuring themed food, cocktails, and furnishings. The event promises to thrill those looking for a more adult-oriented Halloween experience.
Zookeepers at various locations are also getting into the Halloween spirit by using seasonal squashes to entertain animals. At one zoo, lemurs Delilah and Diego, along with black lemurs Camila and Kahagi, were seen sniffing out hidden treats, while at another, ring-tailed and black lemurs and Sulawesi crested macaques enjoyed spooky squashes.
The zookeepers commented, 'As everyone counts down to Halloween, our zookeepers used seasonal squashes to make sure the animals don't miss out on any of the fun - and put their incredible natural skills to the test!'
What this adds
The events and decorations highlight the diverse ways people are embracing Halloween, from elaborate home displays to festive community events.
What's confirmed
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- Cindy Lou Emery as Cindy Lou Who at the raffle table during the Salisbury Council on Aging’s Halloween party Thursday.
What's still developing
- Barnhart said he and his wife have been decorating for years, adding more to their Halloween display as neighborhood children continue to enjoy it.
- With Halloween just two weeks away, residents who spent hours setting up elaborate displays are now dealing with fallen inflatables and damaged decorations.
- GILBERT, AZ — Strong winds swept through Gilbert on Friday, leaving some homeowners scrambling to keep their Halloween decorations from blowing away.
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- “We love it, it’s better than Christmas!"
- From left: The Teletubbies and sun baby Xander, Ashley and Xavier Simmons and Spencer Mader, make an appearance at Excelsior's Spooky Sprint.
- One of the best parts of spooky season is settling in with a movie.
- But if you’re looking to skip the blood, gore, and psychological terror of many classic Halloween movies, we’ve got you covered.
- Dancing With The Stars Season 35 Week 7 (DWTS 2026 Episode 8) Eviction: After last week's no-elimination episode, Dancing With The Stars Season 35 delivered a shocking double eviction during its Halloween special.
- With spooky season finally upon us, it’s only natural that horror fans are preparing for a tidal wave of genre releases meant to flood October with Halloween-appropriate delights.
- The October 27 episode marked Horror Movie Night, bringing out spooky, Halloween-themed performances from the remaining 10 contestants and their partners.