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Make Halloween in San Antonio a memorable night of horror, history, candy and, above all, safety

A painted pumpkin depicting film character Edward Scissorhands.
Phil Noble
/
Reuters
A painted pumpkin depicting film character Edward Scissorhands.

Halloween should be a night of harmless creepiness, music, creativity and candy. But real dangers lurk around many corners before and during the unique holiday.

Here are some tips on how to make it through the night, mixed in with some ideas on events, and with a look back over the years at how TPR and NPR have explored and celebrated the creepiness.


History and horror

Before the big night of parties and candy, some Halloween fans need to get in the right mood. They need some horrific experiences first.

San Antonio's long cultural history includes plenty of scary legends, ghosts, and unexplained occurrences that can effectively fill the imagination with terror.

In 2015, TPR's David Martin Davies moderated a conversation about San Antonio's most infamous haunted tales and places, including the Menger Hotel.

Just in time for Halloween, San Antonio's Emily Morgan Hotel has been named among this year's Top 25 Most Haunted American Hotels.

In 2021, TPR's Brian Kirkpatrick toured the Emily Morgan Hotel, which had just been named one of the most haunted hotels in the United States. Blue water flooding hallways, apparitions of a nurse pushing a gurney, and strange noises have all unnerved and delighted hotel guests.

That same year, TPR prepared a list of the best spooky spots in and around the Alamo City, including the Alamo itself, the Missions, the Infamous Train Tracks, and Woman Hollering Creek.

This year is packed with events for both the adult crowd and the family crowd.

Residents and tourists consider taking a "spine-tingling" river cruise, a walking ghost tour that promises "a thrilling journey into the shadows of the past," or a bus tour that promises to "drive you into your nightmares, taking in some of San Antonio’s most haunting sights along the way."

Kids can do some trick-or-treating at the zoo, climb a massive hay pyramid at the Botanical Gardens, or join their parents on a Halloween-themed morning hike through Hardberger Park.

Also on Oct. 31, families may purchase passes at Morgan's Wonderland, where they'll enjoy candy stations, costume contests, and free face painting, among other kid-friendly activities.

Learn more about these and several other Halloween-themed events at Visit San Antonio.


The Halloween arts

Music has always played a big part on Halloween.

In 2014, NPR spoke to music writer Colin Fleming to discuss different takes on the horror theme — including some R&B, some jazz and a piece from 1874. Taken together, it's the perfect soundtrack for Halloween 2024 — a year already filled with real horrors.

For something closer to traditional scariness, try some Alfred Hitchcock. In 2015, TPR's Nathan Cone celebrated a new edition of "Music to Be Murdered By," a Hi-Fi album featuring the film director introducing strangely charming musical arrangements by Conductor Jeff Alexander.

Cone wrote in his review that "Alexander’s arrangements of standards like 'After You’ve Gone' and 'I’ll Walk Alone' are pure easy listening, and Alexander’s originals on the album sound like Bernard Herrmann lite. ..."

He added: "Although Hitch probably knocked off the [introductory] scripts during a half-hour recording session in a studio booth, I prefer to imagine him leading the orchestra, Jackie Gleason-style ... a noose in one hand and a scotch in the other."

A lot of us are about to have the experience of opening our front doors to find witches, goblins, ghosts, and Moo Deng standing on our porches. Why? Because it's almost Halloween. In this encore episode, we talk about what kinds of entertainment scared us when we were kids, and whether they still scare us now.

Visual and sensory experiences

Halloween is not much fun without dressing up as something or someone else. But people who plan to wear costumes should double check the ingredients in those costumes — or in any accompanying makeup — before buying them. The ingredients or fabrics may spark allergic reactions.

Some people may also want to take a mindful moment to consider what Halloween may suggest about how people perceive the unknown around them, the anxieties that swirl behind everyday masks of stability and confidence, or the complicated creativity expressed in costumes and decorations.

In 2016, NPR published a fascinating essay by Tania Lombrozo, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley. She offered three "clever studies that use this yearly event to uncover features of human morality, belief and allegiance."

"They also put a new spin on the 'trick' in trick-or-treat," she wrote. "[Y]ou might just think twice about what's governing your choices and beliefs this Halloween, just in case the trick's on you."

In 2023, NPR also pointed out that revelers who want to add facial disfigurement makeup to their costumes may want to reconsider that idea. It could be considered insensitive to people with facial differences, including people with facial scars.

The extra noise and excitement around Halloween can be challenging for autism families too. But The Autism Community in Action group offered a wide range of guidance for caregivers deciding on costumes, candy and activities.


Trick-or-treaters
Tom Hawley
/
Reuters
Trick-or-treaters on the street.

Transportation

Whether you're driving or walking from home to home collecting candy, Vision Zero San Antonio offered these tips for a safe night on the streets:

  • Be Bright and Visible: Use reflective tape on costumes, bags, and accessories. Equip trick-or-treaters with glow sticks or flashlights to increase visibility for drivers. A well-lit costume is essential, especially for children navigating streets after dark.
  • Stick to Sidewalks and Crosswalks: When walking between houses, use sidewalks whenever possible and cross streets at marked crosswalks. Children should avoid running across streets or between parked cars.
  • Walk, Don’t Run: Excitement can make children forget to look both ways before crossing the street. Remind kids to walk, not run, and to stay alert to their surroundings. Adults should hold hands with younger children and guide them safely.
  • Look Out for Traffic: Remind children that drivers may not see them, especially in dark costumes. Encourage them to make eye contact with drivers before crossing and to wait until cars are at a full stop.
  • Stay on Well-Lit Streets and in Groups: Avoid areas with limited lighting and encourage group trick-or-treating. More eyes and ears make for safer navigation, so accompany younger trick-or-treaters and designate responsible adults to supervise.

Parties

Before hitting the parties and bars, they should also keep in mind that flu, COVID-19 and other viruses can easily spread among people who've gathered indoors, so participants should always carry hand sanitizer with them.

Visit San Antonio offered some ideas for those who plan to drown their horrors in bar crawl.

For those behind the bars, feel free to get extra creative with the cocktails.

Of course, everyone's first ingredient should be a designated driver.


Ensure that pets are safe and comfortable in their Halloween costumes.
Anusak Laowilas
/
Reuters
Ensure that pets are safe and comfortable in their Halloween costumes.

Pets

Whether people hit the street or not, they should ensure their pets are safe.

Make sure they're all microchipped and collared.

Pet-owners should inspect their pets' little costumes too. Be mindful of costumes that restrict breathing or cause limited movement.

It's not a shark. It's not a lion. It's not a snake. And all you'll need is some pipe cleaners, sunglasses and gossamer wings.

The City of San Antonio offered these tips from its website:

  • Chocolate of any type, even a nibble, can be toxic and potentially fatal to dogs and cats. Keep holiday goodies such as candies and cookies away from your pets.
  • Talk to your kids about the danger of giving your pet Halloween treats.
  • Cellophane and foil wrappers, lollipop and caramel apple sticks should be thrown away immediately. They pose a choking hazard to pets if swallowed.
  • Trick-or-treating may be fun for the family, but the constant ringing of the doorbell can scare your pet. Provide a quiet, safe place for your pet to relax.
  • Although it may be tempting to bring Fido along while trick-or-treating, holiday masks and costumes could be threatening to your family pet. Fear may lead to protective or aggressive behavior like biting and growling.
  • Keep your pet safe inside for the evening if you’re worried trick-or-treaters may scare or bother your outdoor pet.
  • Halloween decorations, like jack-o-lantern candles and electric strings of lights can spark curiosity in pets. Keep them out of reach.
  • Not all pets will tolerate wearing a costume or embellished collar. Get your pet in on the Halloween fun by providing a holiday-themed treat for them to enjoy.
  • Think your pet may have ingested something toxic? Head to or call the nearest pet emergency clinic. You can also call the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Pet Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435. Charges may apply.

Halloween should be a fun time for trick -or- treaters, but it can be scary for those with food allergies. The Food Allergy Research and Education has an option to help families trick-or-treat safely.

The candy

Doctors say trick or treaters with food allergies should check the ingredients in the candy they've gathered before they eat them.

There is no evidence of any deaths or injuries from contaminated Halloween candy. Why are people still afraid of it?

Of course, anyone who enjoys candy or other treats on Halloween should brush their teeth before going to bed.


File photo of pumpkins stacked up at Bulverde Methodist Church
Courtesy photo
/
Bulverde Methodist Church
Pumpkins stacked up at Bulverde Methodist Church

The environment

Finally, when Halloween is over, don't throw the pumpkins away — they can create methane gas as they sit discarded in landfills.

Put those pumpkins to good use. NPR explained in 2022 that that can be used in cooking, they can be composted, or they can just be donated to a farm or zoo, where animals may enjoy them.

Some people turn them into birdfeeders, or they just leave them in the backyard, where squirrels or deer may appreciate them.

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