Halloween is my favourite holiday. It breaks my heart that my (not-so) little boy no longer wants to do stuff with me on Halloween, although he has requested I do his lizard-man makeup before he goes out with friends on Monday night. Still, working with local government lets me see all kinds of global Halloween fun. For instance, this week there’s a fabulous conversation between LGIU’s Thomas Lynch and the Head of Culture at Derry and Strabane Council’s Head of Culture on their work on cultural heritage and festivals to support a bright future as well as their claim that Derry is the Halloween capital of world (really worth a read, find it here).
So how else are local public services celebrating the most spooktacular holiday and making a truly ‘Boo-nicipal’ effort?
I love the Milwaukee Public Library’s take on Halloween and celebration of Stephen King’s books in this genuinely funny, but also a bit frightening video:
1/2 Welcome to the first week of spooky season at MPL. We’re here on time with the assignment, @StephenKing aesthetic and all.
🤡📚🎥#Horror #HorrorMovies #HorrorBooks #StephenKing #SpookySZN #Library pic.twitter.com/ULSazMGQFK
— Milwaukee Public Library (@MilwaukeePubLib) October 5, 2022
Charles County, in Maryland USA has released a podcast on The Ghosts of Charles County – highlighting freaky occurrences in the local area, but also how interest in paranormal activities can support tourism.
Big shoes to fill for #Maryland counties & #Hallowwn — @CharlesCoMD has a Ghosts of Charles County podcast edition (https://t.co/jEDUFrgim7)
& @MontgomeryCoMD with a HalloWheaton event — excellent name!
What do you say, @MDCounties — official roundup on this 🧵??👻🎃💀🐈⬛🕸️
— Brianna January MACo (@BriJanuary_MACo) October 27, 2022
Maryland Association of Counties did indeed follow up with some spooky but fun facts about Maryland counties.
This looks genuinely scary! South Ayrshire Council’s museum (Scotland) has a decorative display for free!
(1/2) 🔥 TAMFEST 2022 🔥 – The Devil’s Feast at the McKechnie Institute 🎃
The McKechnie Institute’s 1st floor will be decorated for Halloween until 31 October and is FREE to visit during normal opening hours with no booking required! pic.twitter.com/MD4Cxm5Pei
— South Ayrshire Council (@southayrshire) October 19, 2022
Selby District Council’s (England) pumpkin trail is a great way for families to get moving across the area!
Eye spy a witch pumpkin pal in Selby town… have you?
Join the Selby Halloween Pumpkin Trail to find all 14 pumpkin pals for a chance to win a prize.🎃
Pick up your free entry form from any shop displaying a poster – return it to The Painting Pot on New Lane for a chance to win. pic.twitter.com/LFVWWPXqQ8— Selby DC (@SelbyDC) October 24, 2022
And they’re really cutthroat about their Halloween decorations in Sydney, Australia.
Halloween is approaching – what’s your favourite @cityofsydney street or house to visit? Post your 📸 below to show your favourite decorations! (Photo courtesy local https://t.co/2vWZJYTkDG AMAZING baking!) 🎃 👻 pic.twitter.com/VZxtV3MTHK
— Councillor Linda Scott (@ClrLindaScott) October 27, 2022
Staying safe on Halloween
I love the councils that are really getting into the spirt of things, but we want all the grim and gore to be just for fun. Sadly, it’s been said that more children are killed and injured by cars on Halloween than any other day.
Well done New York on closing streets to car traffic to make trick or treating safer!
Breaking: @NYC_DOT to announce major car-free street plan for Halloween. Full details on Monday. pic.twitter.com/rxj2gdQtLy
— Streetsblog New York (@StreetsblogNYC) October 23, 2022
And other councils are promoting safety, too!
All Set for Halloween Festivities Across Fingal
Read more here: https://t.co/MwwZC99ayc#Halloween #Festivities #Events #Fingal @Fingalcoco @LoveFingalDub @EVENTSinFingal @GardaTraffic @DubFireBrigade pic.twitter.com/o1RHVUVih7
— Council Journal (@CouncilJournal) October 24, 2022
Montgomery County’s Department of Transportation wants to ensure trick-or-treaters have a safe and fun Halloween, particularly since it will be dark during many of the festivities. 🎃 For safety tips, visit ➡️ https://t.co/h5Ti4o9HsN. pic.twitter.com/AxWBfeckQX
— Montgomery County MD (@MontgomeryCoMD) October 26, 2022
Of course for some, Halloween isn’t such a fun time and night time visitor can be genuinely distressing, particularly for lone or vulnerable residents. Some councils are taking the approach of getting residents to print out signs asking for no trick or treaters.
Halloween is almost here & you’ll likely see trick or treaters over the next few nights🎃
This time of year can be a worry for some who are concerned about people coming to their door after dark
You can make it clear you won’t be opening the door with a ‘No Trick or Treat’ poster pic.twitter.com/HaGGyLWoX5— SwaleBoroughCouncil (@SwaleCouncil) October 27, 2022
However, I do hope that it isn’t being used by Halloween Scrooges, “Boo humbug,” they say.
It’s not just about safety, though that’s an important aspect – Halloween can be a good time to test out your city’s approach to urban planning and liveability, too:
Have you heard of the “trick-or-treat test?” It’s simple really — does the design of your neighbourhood make trick-or-treating hard at #Halloween? Can you even find the front doors? What does that reveal about good design?
Read my @CityLab article on it.https://t.co/geyVI2GHEY
— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) October 21, 2022
Orange and black and green – the colours of Halloween
Local government is helping people stay environmentally conscious, too
Did you know that millions of pounds worth of decorations are bought every year and only used once? 🎃👻
Here are our top 4 tips to have more sustainable Halloween decorations! Share yours in the comments below! https://t.co/pvvkEVUnlt@VeoliaUK #WatfordDoes #GreenHalloween pic.twitter.com/vXPsRAM9qq
— Watford Council (@WatfordCouncil) October 26, 2022
A terrifying 22 million pumpkins will go to waste this year…
After carving, you can roast, boil or blitz your pumpkin into many tasty meals!
Check out these top tips by @RecycleDevon for a greener (and cheaper) Halloween: https://t.co/vIYD07PUjL pic.twitter.com/blcoui1mlq
— Devon County Council (@DevonCC) October 24, 2022
However, you celebrate, I hope it’s green, safe and most of all happy! Let us know how your council is helping residents enjoy the holiday. Happy Halloween from me and LGIU.
