Take one step out of your front door these days and the crunch of crimson leaves beneath your feet will send a clear message: fall is in full swing. That, and you might need to invest in a leaf blower. With fall comes high winds, vibrant foliage, trendy scarves, and most important of all, Halloween.

With the Halloween season underway, jack-o’-lanterns have begun popping up on doorsteps all across town as if we’d just had a visit from Johnny Pumpkinseed. Holiday decorations of bats and witches are appearing in shops and in homes everywhere as Boulder County has begun to embrace the Halloween spirit with gusto.

In case you’re still wondering what to do this Halloween season, or are still trying to answer the perennial question of “what to wear?” here are a few suggestions to help you make this the best Halloween ever:

Munson Farms Pumpkin Patch and Harvest Festival

If you’re still searching for the perfect pumpkin to carve this year, head over to Munson Farms! They’ve got pumpkins, squash, and anything else you might need for cooking or decorating this Halloween. Visit their website here or call  303-442-5330 for more info.

The Munchkin Masquerade

For those with kids, I’d highly recommend the Munchkin Masquerade. This event is a costumed parade of sorts for young children and takes place on Pearl Street on the afternoon of the 31st and into the early evening. Check here for more info.

Boulder High School Haunted House

Boulder High School is putting on their annual haunted house this year and it’s sure to be a treat. The haunted house serves as a fundraiser for their theatre department and is especially important this year as Boulder High School is still trying to recover from the extensive damage it experienced from the recent floods. The haunted house will be open Oct.19-20, 26-28, and the 31st and will stay open until around 11 p.m. It takes place at Boulder High School at 1604 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder. For more info call 720-561-2200.

Banjo Billy’s Ghost Story Tours, Boulder

Banjo Billy’s tours have become a staple in Boulder, and there’s no better time to experience it than Halloween. On this bus tour you’ll hear ghost stories, see haunted mansions, and be sure to have a memorable Halloween experience. Great for all ages! Visit their website here.

The Boulder Mall Crawl

For those of you looking for a wickedly good time, I’d suggest that you dress up and join the Boulder Mall Crawl, which will take place on the night of October 26th as well as the 31st at the Pearl Street Mall. Check here for more info.

Monster Mash Adult Costume Ball

If you’re ready to cut loose and get your groove on this Halloween, then you’ll definitely want to check out this 21 and over costume ball. It will be held at the historic Longmont Elks Lodge on Oct. 26th and will include live music, a great bar, and costume contests! Tickets and more information can be found here.

COSTUME IDEAS

Listen, you’ve worn that same “cat” costume for the past seven Halloweens in a row; it’s time to let it go.  Trash your old, worn-out getup and don something new this year! Here are six topical costumes that will be sure to impress your friends this Halloween:

The Government Shutdown  

Here’s one Halloween costume that is ACTUALLY frightening. In order to personify the recent shutdown, I’d suggest that you dress up as Uncle Sam with a sign around your neck that reads, “CTRL ALT DELETE.”  Other ideas are an out of work NASA astronaut (not to be confused with Sandra Bullock from Gravity) or a non-FDA regulated chicken with salmonella!

VMAs Miley Cyrus

For some unfathomable reason, Miley Cyrus’ performance at the VMAs this year captured the world’s attention to a degree that was perhaps only matched by the first lunar landing in ’69. Rather unfortunately, this video cannot be unwatched, so why not embrace it and dress up as the tongue-wagging pop star? For couples, I suggest that one partner dresses up as Robin Thicke. These might not be the scariest costumes out there this Halloween, but they will certainly be the creepiest. All you need is a foam finger, pigtails, and to start practicing your twerking.

Holden Caulfield

The Catcher in the Rye has had a mega resurgence recently with the new biographies and documentaries based on the reclusive J.D. Salinger. The book has skyrocketed to the top of Amazon’s sales and it seems that everyone is rereading it. Fortunately, dressing up as Holden Caulfield is relatively simple and requires nothing more than a red hunting cap, a muffler, and that you go around calling everyone, “phonies.”

The Great Gatsby

Here’s another work of great American literature that’s had a recent revival and that would make for some great costumes. The latest silver screen adaptation of Fitzgerald’s 1920s novel featured its characters drinking cocktails and dancing to hip-hop and dub-step. This seems quite fitting for those of you who wish to wear your costumes out to dance at the bars and clubs. You could either dress as a ’20s flapper girl or as Gatsby himself. Just don’t hold me responsible if you get punched in the nose for incessantly addressing everyone as, “old sport.”

Breaking Bad

Sure, there are bound to be plenty of Walts and Jessies wandering around this Halloween with the recent finale of the popular television series, but my suggestion is that you dress up as the real star of the show: the blue meth. All you need to do is find some blue face paint and buy tons of blue rock candy. The crystalline candy is a dead ringer for the illegal narcotic, and probably causes just as much damage to your teeth!

Anchorman

The long awaited sequel to Will Ferrell’s hit comedy, Anchorman is due out this December, so why not dress up as the great Ron Burgundy? All you need is a corny suit, a fake mustache, and flawless hair. Halloween is just around the corner, so there’s no better time than now to start practicing your jazz flute.

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