Halloween 2020 guide: Where to go, weather, COVID-safe plan and police advice

Trick or treating may look a bit different this year thanks to COVID-19, but there are still plenty of spooktacular spots across southeast Queensland where families can get their Halloween fix.

Sophie Chirgwin

3 min read

October 30, 2020 - 2:56PM

How to trick-or-treat safely this Halloween

QLD News

Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.

Trick or treating may look a bit different this year thanks to COVID-19, but there are still plenty of spooktacular spots across southeast Queensland where families can get their Halloween fix.

The Courier-Mail has put together an ultimate guide for families on where to go, what the weather has in store, COVID-safe plans and police advice for young ghosts and ghouls celebrating the occasion.

Wet weather and thunderstorm activity is likely in the late morning, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, but it should die down in the evening when trick or treaters come out.

Despite this week’s stormy weather, plenty of Halloween lovers have been setting up their houses, with some creating interactive mazes and projections on their garage doors.

For Rochedale South local Mel Hone, it’s her first time getting involved with the festivities, but she already has stacks of scary props. She has transformed her home at 9 Kumbari Street into “The Morgue”.

Mel Hone and Mitchell Tierney pose for a photograph at 'The Morgue at Rochedale' for Halloween 2020. Picture: Richard Walker

The Morgue: 9 Kumbari street Rochedale South QLD

“I’ve been obsessed with Halloween for many years,” she told The Courier-Mail.

“I have been to Los Angeles for Halloween season and gone through their mazes … I collect Halloween decor for my home, so it’s all year round.”

Due to COVID-19, some much-loved Halloween locations have had to adapt, including Halloween Haunt Ipswich, which this year will be a drive-by set up instead of their usual walk around.

Sandgate Spooktacular also usually provides a haunt walk through, but will instead host a front display.

To make it easy for parents, there is an interactive map which shows who is opening their home to trick or treaters and what COVID-safe plans homeowners have in place.

Restaurants and venues are getting in the spirit for Halloween this year, including Pizzalunga at Nundah Village who have transformed their shop with Halloween decorations and will be giving kids free pizza for those in costume on Saturday night.

Pizzalunga at Nundah Village has transformed their store

For those who don’t want to trick or treat this year, there are plenty of options to still celebrate the occasion.

Yatala Drive-In will screen some of the most beloved scary movies, including Hocus Pocus, Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Conjuring 1 and 2 and more.

Halloween is becoming more popular in Australia, with Woolworths recording a 100 per cent growth in sales of decorations and party products nationwide compared to last year.

For the first time in five years, the date falls on a weekend, and Woolworths expects to sell 47 per cent more pumpkins than last year, and is on track for this Halloween to be one of its biggest yet.

POLICE ADVICE

Not everyone wants to participate in Halloween this year, so the Queensland Police Service has made it easy for families by creating posters either welcoming trick or treaters, or “no thank you” posters.

Trick or treaters are urged to stay up to date with health directives and remember to:

• Stay physically distanced from groups outside your household

• Remember that gatherings are limited to 40 people in homes and outdoors

• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly for bonus points

• Use hand sanitiser regularly while bewitching your neighbours

Queensland Health has also encouraged parents and carers to consider other ways to be COVID safe, like individually packaging loose treats, washing hands well before preparing treats and in between handing them out, and regularly using hand sanitiser between those ominous door knocks.

WEATHER (31st October). Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Brisbane area – Min 20, Max 31.

Cloudy. High (80%) chance of showers, most likely from the late morning. A thunderstorm likely from the late morning, possibly severe. Winds northerly 25 to 35 km/h becoming light in the evening then becoming northerly 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening.

Gold Coast area – Min, 17, Max, 28

Cloudy. High (80%) chance of showers, most likely from the late morning. A thunderstorm likely from the late morning, possibly severe. Winds north to north-westerly 20 to 30 km/h tending north to north-easterly 30 to 45 km/h in the late morning then decreasing to 15 to 20 km/h in the late evening

Sunshine Coast area – Min 18, Max 30

Partly cloudy. Medium (60%) chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. A thunderstorm likely from the late morning, possibly severe. Winds northerly 15 to 20 km/h becoming light early in the morning then becoming northerly 25 to 35 km/h in the morning

Ipswich area – Min, 15, Max 33

Cloudy. Very high (90%) chance of showers, most likely from the late morning. A thunderstorm likely from the late morning, possibly severe. Light winds becoming northerly 20 to 25 km/h in the morning then becoming light in the evening.

WHERE TO GO

The Morgue: 9 Kumbari St, Rochedale South

Kiss of Death: 7 Ballesteros St, North Lakes