Medford Halloween 2020: What You Need To Know

MEDFORD, MA — The city is planning a series of family-friendly, coronavirus-safe Halloween options this year. In partnership with the Medford Recreation Department and the Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn announced four options for residents to celebrate Halloween while remaining safe and practicing social distancing.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published a list of Halloween activities that are considered “low risk,” “moderate risk,” and “higher risk,” placing traditional trick-or-treating on the list of high risk activities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of trick-or-treating, the city invites residents to enjoy Halloween in the following ways:

1. Visit the Pumpkin & Lantern Float at Wright’s Pond. Drop off a carved pumpkin(s) and/or a decorated lantern(s) to Wright’s Pond for an illuminated Halloween display event. Battery-operated tea lights will be provided for pumpkins and lanterns. To ensure the pumpkin floats, please use small “sugar” or “pie” pumpkins that are between 6 and 8 inches. Larger pumpkins will be placed along the path, and residents will be invited to walk along a one-way path during designated times for viewing. Costumes are encouraged! Viewing will be on October 29 and October 30 at designated times. For more details on dates and times visit www.medfordma.org/seasonal-events.
2. Participate in our Virtual Costume Contest. Submit photos to be featured on Medford Community Media and be entered into a contest for a gift card to a local business! All ages (and pets!) are welcome to submit entries. Three winners will be selected.
3. Decorate Your Home to Win a Prize. Submit a photo of your home or apartment decorated for Halloween, to be featured on Medford Community Media, and be entered into a contest to win a gift card to a local business! If you would like to have your home added to a community map for others to come and see your decorations, please include your address in your submission. Three winners will be selected.
4. Enter the Halloween Artwork Contest. Submit your Halloween artwork to have your creation featured in the windows of local businesses. Prizes will be given to three winners, and the “Top 10” submissions will be featured at City Hall. All submissions must be submitted by Oct. 22 by emailing cdarnell@medford-ma.gov. For more details you can visit www.medfordma.org/seasonal-events.

To see a full list of recommendations from the CDC, visit https://tinyurl.com/HalloweenCDC. In general, the CDC does not recommend the following activities due to their high risk of COVID-19 transmission:

• Trick-or-treating from house to house where treats are given out directly by residents.
• "Trunk-or-Treats" where treats are handed out from cars lined up in large spaces.
• Attending costume parties or events.
• Visiting an indoor haunted house.
• Going on hayrides with people who are not members of your household.

If you have questions about the City’s Halloween activities, you can contact Lisa Colaianni, Director of Community Affairs, at LColaianni@medford-ma.gov or 781-393-2405. We hope you will celebrate the season with us!