Darlington City Council encourages residents to attend Fright Fest downtown on Halloween night in lieu of traveling door to door trick-or-treating. While Council did not ban the practice during its latest meeting, it suggested an earlier time frame of 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Fright Fest will be held on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31, in downtown Darlington from 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with a fireworks display capping the evening. Halloween Activities will include carnival rides, food trucks, DJ, arts & crafts, Bingo, prizes, Trick-or-Treat alley, costume contests, cake walk, car show, and performances by Soul Sister Dance Team all spread across downtown to allow for social distancing. Attendees are strongly encouraged to wear masks.

Following Fright Fest’s fireworks finale, the Housing Authority of Darlington presents a Free Movie on the Lawn at its main office, 324 Bacote St., from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. with popcorn, soda, pizza, and Halloween candy. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets to sit and enjoy.

Fright Fest replaces the signature event of the Greater Darlington Chamber of Commerce -Freedom Fest, the annual Independence Day celebration and fireworks show at the Darlington Raceway.

That event started in 2014 with more than 12,000 in attendance and has grown each year with attendance totaling more than 20,000. The annual festival has hosted bands such as Outshyne and Sister Hazel and drawn crowds in from all over the south east. Vendors have come from around the state, as well as neighboring states, including North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and as far away as Florida. They often bring friends, family, and kids- who enjoy the numerous carnival rides and games at the festival.

From the Centers for Disease Control

Many traditional Halloween activities can be high-risk for spreading viruses. There are several safer, alternative ways to participate in Halloween. If you may have COVID-19 or you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should not participate in in-person Halloween festivities and should not give out candy to trick-or-treaters.

Lower risk activities

These lower risk activities can be safe alternatives:

• Carving or decorating pumpkins with members of your household and displaying them
• Carving or decorating pumpkins outside, at a safe distance, with neighbors or friends
• Decorating your house, apartment, or living space
• Doing a Halloween scavenger hunt where children are given lists of Halloween-themed things to look for while they walk outdoors from house to house admiring Halloween decorations at a distance
• Having a virtual Halloween costume contest
• Having a Halloween movie night with people you live with
• Having a scavenger hunt-style trick-or-treat search with your household members in or around your home rather than going house to house

Moderate risk activities

• Participating in one-way trick-or-treating where individually wrapped goodie bags are lined up for families to grab and go while continuing to social distance (such as at the end of a driveway or at the edge of a yard)
  • If you are preparing goodie bags, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 second before and after preparing the bags.
• Having a small group, outdoor, open-air costume parade where people are distanced more than 6 feet apart
• Attending a costume party held outdoors where protective masks are used and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
  • A costume mask (such as for Halloween) is not a substitute for a cloth mask. A costume mask should not be used unless it is made of two or more layers of breathable fabric that covers the mouth and nose and doesn’t leave gaps around the face.
  • Do not wear a costume mask over a protective cloth mask because it can be dangerous if the costume mask makes it hard to breathe. Instead, consider using a Halloween-themed cloth mask.
• Going to an open-air, one-way, walk-through haunted forest where appropriate mask use is enforced, and people can remain more than 6 feet apart
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
• Visiting pumpkin patches or orchards where people use hand sanitizer before touching pumpkins or picking apples, wearing masks is encouraged or enforced, and people are able to maintain social distancing
• Having an outdoor Halloween movie night with local family friends with people spaced at least 6 feet apart
  • If screaming will likely occur, greater distancing is advised. The greater the distance, the lower the risk of spreading a respiratory virus.
  • Lower your risk by following CDC’s recommendations on hosting gatherings or cook-outs.

Avoid these higher risk activities to help prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19:

• Participating in traditional trick-or-treating where treats are handed to children who go door to door
• Having trunk-or-treat where treats are handed out from trunks of cars lined up in large parking lots
• Attending crowded costume parties held indoors
• Going to an indoor haunted house where people may be crowded together and screaming
• Going on hayrides or tractor rides with people who are not in your household
• Using alcohol or drugs, which can cloud judgement and increase risky behaviors
• Traveling to a rural fall festival that is not in your community if you live in an area with community spread of COVID-19

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For More Information
About Fright Fest: 843-393-2641 or http://www.darlingtonchamber.com

About CDC Holiday Recommendations: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween