Halloween Guide

Riley gives tips and suggestions for teenagers wanting a fun Halloween.

Grants Pass Halloween tips

By Riley Barta

It is October, which means it is time to dawn your witch hat and broomstick. For some reason, it is not “cool” to trick-or-treat or galavant around the school screaming “Boo” at any teacher in your path. Halloween is more than just candy, so I have decided to motivate some of y’all to celebrate. Here is how to have fun in a school-appropriate way on Halloween. 

1. Food

Trick-or-treating loses its charm when children grow out of it. Something about begging strangers for sustenance seems to rub folks the wrong way. Instead of harassing your neighbors for sugar cubes, hold a buffet at your house! Grants Pass is home to wonderful food sources: Walmart, Fred Meyer, Winco, Grocery Outlet and several fast food chains. I would recommend Winco, because they have these little lunch things that can be microwaved. It is a more filling version of a Lunchable. Grab a few friends, cruise on down to a food hive of your choice, and get some carbs to fuel your bones. You have a long night ahead of you. 

Grants Pass Winco, Image creds to Facebook 

2. Saunter the streets

The KKK in Grants Pass, Image creds to Oregon Encyclopedia 

Grants Pass offers many unique sights like the Rogue River. Find some close buddies and try to find every bear statue! Even better, stroll down Sixth Street with them in matching ghost costumes. It is super easy to make a ghost costume. Just get a white sheet and cut some eye holes in it. For extravagance, wear a hat under or over it! Oh wait, maybe not…you and your buds might look more like the KKK that roamed Grants Pass in the 1920s. According to the Oregon Encyclopedia, “The Ku Klux Klan was active throughout Oregon in the 1920s, with an estimated Grants Pass membership in the hundreds. The Klan had a short-lived resurgence in Grants Pass in the 1980s and 1990s…” Okay, so maybe don’t dress up as a ghost, but I’m sure it is safe to wander around the streets. The 90s were so long ago, so I am certain no one who lived through them is still alive. Maybe we should just ignore this part of Grants Pass history! Yeah! That sounds like a great idea. When has erasing some unsatisfactory history ever hurt anybody? Even better, on Halloween, how about we all gather in front of the courthouse and burn every piece of media mentioning the KKK in Grants Pass? We don't need that stuff weighing us down! 

3.  Movies

After dealing with hideous information on our town, take a break and revel in the good 'ol days-- the days of watching shallow, light-hearted spooky movies. Cozy up and watch some Halloween classics like Halloween Town. Just make sure you are wary of horrible remakes like Hocus Pocus 2. I understand you made Hocus Pocus a major part of your personality during the Buzzfeed era of the internet, but the new one just is not good. I promise you, Disney did not care about the quality of the film. They cared about how much money they would make off of your nostalgia. Disney, at the end of the day, is a business built on making money off of children’s joy, which is an effort that they have succeeded in! According to Statista, a platform that offers statistics about businesses, “Walt Disney Company held assets worth 203.63 billion…” They just messed up a bit with the whole Disney Adult thing. Oh well, more people means more money. More money means that Disney doesn’t have to work as hard to make quality entertainment. They know most of their fanbase consists of hungry piranhas, desperate for more of that yummy Disney juice. I would recommend Nightmare Before Christmas, but the jury is still out on if that is a Halloween or Christmas movie. Halloween movies are a great way to get spooky for the season, and they are even better when enjoyed with friends!

Disney Capitalism, Image creds to The Baffler 

Be safe this Halloween season. You never know what ghoul may creep up on you. Ultimately, the best way to celebrate Halloween is with the people you love. Having a friend goes a long way toward being happy. If you want to trick-or-treat, then, by all means, do it! I am but an angsty teenager writing a satire article on Grants Pass and economic flaws while covering it up with the excuse of Halloween. Do not be like me and get lost in all the bad of the world this Halloween. Instead, go do something that makes you happy. Have a happy Halloween and stay safe out there!

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