Halloween is one of many people’s favorite holidays of the year. It’s a time when people of all ages get to use their imaginations to plan and create costumes. But it’s not just about costumes. In Orange County, you can find some of the most unbelievable creations, celebrating everything spooky, scary and even funny.

Lexie King, a junior Liberal Arts major, said Halloween was all about trick or treating when she was younger. “I go trick or treating,” she says. Her favorite memory is “walking around the neighborhood with my friends, dressed up and getting big candy bars.” King says that over the years, Halloween has changed quite a bit for her, “I grew older, and now I prefer to buy myself my own candy, rather than going trick or treating around the neighborhood.” 

Rylee Floyd, a junior Kinesiology major, celebrates Halloween a little differently. “We go to neighborhood friends' houses and pass out Halloween candy, and to end the night, we always finish with a horror movie.” Floyd’s favorite tradition is “watching horror movies with my family.” 

Both students had recommendations for fun things to do around O.C. King suggested visiting pumpkin patches like Tanaka Farms and family-friendly activities such as bobbing for apples and pumpkin picking. Floyd recommends Corona Haunt for anyone seeking a scare and mentioned pumpkin patches or Knott’s Scary Farm as family-friendly spots to visit. 

King enjoyed some of the creative costumes from this past year. “The one couples costume I saw on TikTok I thought was most creative was the Ratatouille one. Where the girl is the rat and the guy is the chef.” She shops mostly at Target and Spirit Halloween when she needs something quickly. Floyd’s favorite costume trend from this past year is “Powerpuff Girls.” She shops at Spirit Halloween when in need of decorations or costume supplies.  

King says what makes O.C. most unique is how local communities make their own haunted houses in front yards. Her ideal Halloween day consists of “Waking up, getting a Pumpkin Spice, then spending time getting ready with friends before going out to haunted houses and pumpkin patches to take pictures.” 

Floyd mentioned how Corona puts on special community events, too. “Corona puts on a lot of fun things, like our local church puts on a trunk-or-treat.” Her perfect Halloween day would be “Wake up, grab a Pumpkin Cream Chai from Starbucks, watch horror movies all day, then spend the night getting ready with friends and going out.”

Halloween in Orange County is full of creativity, fun, and community spirit. From haunted houses to pumpkin patches, costumes, and horror movies, there's something for everyone to enjoy. King and Floyd show that Halloween can be both family-friendly and adult-friendly. Halloween isn't just about candy or costumes but about traditions, creativity and making memories.

Tags: fall, Orange County

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