For adults, as well as children, October is an entertaining month. For most of us, the toughest decision we face revolves around what to wear for Halloween. Nowadays, on All Hallows’ Eve, children don costumes, knock on doors, and are gifted with mounds of candy by the end of the night. It’s a silly ritual, one we hold dear every year.
However, it was my generation, the Baby Boomers, that pirated Halloween away from the kids and made it a celebration for adults too. When it comes to consumer spending, Halloween ranks second only to Christmas. Last year, Americans spent $7.4 billion on Halloween. 75% of households handed out candy last year, with $2.6 billion going to national candy companies.
This year, it is estimated that 68 million adults will dress up for Halloween; they will spend an average of $75 on a costume and another $27 on costumes for their kids. Projections approximate that 20 million pet owners will dress up their favorite pooch or cat, adding another $50 million of revenue for costume shops to take.
Halloween has become more than a childish lark for kids, but Baby Boomers led the charge in making it a quirky celebration for adults too. Today, with the help of commercialism, adults and businesses have stretched that one night into a three-week celebration with events across the nation—certainly across San Diego—to keep us busy and entertained all month long. Whether you favor a simple costume or an elaborate masterpiece—a trick or a treat––Halloween is officially a holiday perfect for all.
Events
Here are a few of the local family-friendly events perfect for spooks and sweeties of all ages. For the little ones, enjoy Sea World’s Spooktacular, Legoland’s Brick-or-Treat Party or The San Diego Zoo Safari Park’s RISE of the Jack O’Lanterns. Belmont Park will transform into Boomont Park over the weekends, and El Cajon offers HauntFest on Main St. And don’t forget, for those 4 to 7-year-olds, the Boulevard Boo Parade allows your kids to dress in costume and march in a parade. Looking for a more cultured all-ages spectacular? You can enjoy Christian Elliott playing on the Spreckels Organ for a free concert and screening of The Phantom of the Opera, the classic silent film starring Lon Chaney.
For those of us a bit older, we have more options. The biggest Halloween events are the Monster Bash and the Zombie Crawl in the Gaslamp. The Hotel Del has their annual Hallo-Wine and Spirits Party. If EDM is your thing, then the Masquerade Ball at the Lafayette is for you. Our local breweries even join the fun and bring us Hoppy Halloween San Diego. The Hard Rock Hotel gets into the action with the Hard Rock Horror Story. But the ultimate Halloween party cruise will be the haunting Titanic Masquerade, filled with over 1,000 ghosts and ghouls raised from the dead of the historic Titanic that sank a century ago.
No matter your age, Halloween is an amusing excuse to embrace the silly, scary, or sweet aspects of San Diego. Enjoy a break from the monotony and get decked out from head to toe. Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore; why not have a little fun?
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