Leaves scatter across the roads as fall comes into full effect. Holiday spirit grows while spooky decorations litter store shelves and families go pumpkin picking. With haunted houses back in business and spirit Halloweens on every corner, there is no shortage of festivities for the season.
Markoff’s Haunted Forest
Markoff’s Haunted Forest opened on Sept. 27 and will close on Nov. 2. The attraction is organized into three parts: Markoff’s Midway, The Haunted Trail and The Town. “Since 1992, when the Markoff brothers toured D.C. events and festivals in a Haunted School Bus, our haunt has become a must-go for fright fest lovers,” Markoff’s official website advertises.
Markoff’s Midway is free and opens at 6:30 p.m.. The Midway serves as a waiting area, hosting local entertainers and concessions. “This space is full of energy, defined by the giant bonfires, our weird ghouls and goblins, crazy DJ, and high risk activities,” according to Markoff’s website.
The Haunted Trail is a paid walking experience that spans over a mile of frightening character encounters, making it the longest haunted trail in the country. The Town is another paid attraction that includes a wagon ride to the western town of Onslaught Mills, where guests meet its signature zombies.
Early access to discounted rentals for the film The Haunted Forest is now available for fans of Markoff’s before the movie hits theaters. The horror feature was filmed on location at Markoff’s in 2023 and is available for $4.99 until Nov. 1.
Treat Stops
Downtown Crown is hosting Treat Stops from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 25. During Treat Stops, participating locations marked by a “treat stop ghost” in their windows will offer treats to visitors.
Eighteen stores and restaurants are participating in the event. These include popular stops for students such as Starbucks, Sweetgreen and Sephora.
Halloween Night Market Gallery
The Night Market Gallery in Sandy Spring is celebrating the season with a Halloween-themed event with free admission. The gallery will become the Halloween Night Market Gallery on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 2 to 8 p.m..
Over 35 small businesses and vendors will attend the event with Halloween-themed items for sale and display. The gallery’s lineup of artists rotates monthly.
Halloween Movies
Watching horror movies is a common tradition for the season. From monsters to slashers to ghosts, horror goes hand in hand with the holiday. “I really enjoyed M3GAN,” freshman Seth Weiss said.
Movie theaters are equipped with a handful of movies to get audiences in the Halloween spirit, such as Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and the upcoming 3D remaster of Coraline. The remaster will be released to theaters on Halloween for the stop-motion animated film’s 15th anniversary. “I’m excited, I love Coraline,” sophomore Onyx Sanders said.
Trick-or-Treating
A Halloween staple, trick-or-treating is a childhood favorite that remains popular amongst high school students. Trick-or-treaters typically go hunting for candy in costumes, whether they be their favorite characters or outfits of their own design. “I like dressing up for Halloween, it introduces a level of whimsy to [the season],” senior Cleo Sauvajot said.
The practice of trick-or-treating originates from the old Scottish and Irish tradition of guising. When guising, children would offer a performance such as singing outside of homes in exchange for treats. “It was practiced in early 20th Century Irish and Scottish immigrant communities, but trick-or-treating didn’t really spread until the 1920s and 1930s, while Halloween pranking raged,” accoridng to Smithsonian Magazine.
