Have a fun and Covid-safe Halloween

This display and all the others on this post are in the Annandale area.

As our neighborhoods fill up with witches and ghouls this weekend, here’s what you need to know about Halloween 2021.

Kids will be going trick-or-treating when it starts to get dark on Sunday, Oct. 31. Some homeowner associations and apartment complexes might set a different time, however. 

Trunk-or-treat events, parades, and Halloween festivals organized by schools, churches, and community organizations have been scheduled throughout the weekend. 

Here are just a few of the Halloween events for kids in the Annandale/Mason District area: 

Oct. 30

Trunk or Treat – Hope Lutheran Church, 4604 Ravensworth Road, Annandale, 5-7 p.m. 

Free outdoor movie: “Hocus Pocus” – Eden Center parking lot, 6763 Wilson Blvd., Seven Corners, 6 p.m. 

St. James Halloween Spooktacular – St. James Sports, Wellness and Entertainment Complex, 6805 Industrial Road, Springfield, 6-9 p.m. $10 for members, $15 for non-members.

Halloween Carnival, sponsored by the City of Falls Church – 312 Park Ave., Falls Church, 1-5:30 p.m.

Halloween Ice Cream Social sponsored by Parents of Autistic Children of Northern Virginia – Jake’s Ice Cream, 6353 Columbia Pike, noon-3 p.m.

Oct. 31 

Mosaic Halloween Spooktacular – Mosaic District, District Avenue, Merrifield, noon-6 p.m.  

Harvest Festival – Annandale United Methodist Church, 6935 Columbia Pike, Annandale, 1:30-3:30 p.m. 

Howl-O-Ween, drive-through blessing of the pets and Halloween fun – Sleepy Hollow United Methodist Church, Falls Church, 2-4 p.m. 

COVID precautions

Make Halloween less scary in terms of health this year by focusing on outdoor activities, wearing a mask indoors, and practicing social distancing. 

The Virginia Department of Health offers the following Halloween safety tips: 

• Anyone who tested positive for COVID, experiences COVID symptoms, or is in quarantine should forego trick-or-treating and parties and celebrate Halloween virtually instead. 
• Wash your hands before going trick-or-treating or handing out candy. Bring along hand sanitizer when going door-to-door.

• Wear a cloth mask instead of a Halloween mask. Costume masks don’t offer good protection and wearing a cloth mask under a Halloween mask might restrict breathing. 
• For those handing out candy, consider setting up a table outside and space out the treats so multiple people don’t have to reach into the same bowl. 

• Trick or treaters should only visit homes that have their porch lights on or have active Halloween decorations. Remind children never to enter a stranger’s house. 
• Cross at intersections or corners – not between parked cars.
• Make sure children know their phone number and address in case they get lost. 
• Make sure trick-or-treaters can be seen by having them wear something reflective or carrying a flashlight or glow stick.
• Costumes should be made with fire-retardant materials and should be short enough so kids won’t trip over them. 

• If driving on Halloween, be extra careful to watch for children darting in front of you.
• To avoid anxiety among pets, provide a safe, secure space for them during trick-or-treating time. 
• When giving out candy, avoid treats with nuts.
• Inspect your children’s candy before they eat it, especially if they have allergies.