Thinking of Halloween? The Department of Public Health Wants to Help You Plan for a Safe Celebration.

As fall begins, many families are starting to plan for the upcoming holiday season - beginning with Halloween. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health wants to help you take part in this holiday, while reducing your risk of developing COVID-19, and has prepared guidance to help make this year's Halloween celebrations as safe as can be. 

Ready to celebrate? Check out the Department of Public Health’s Halloween Guidance (PDF), which includes suggestions and recommendations for you, your friends, and family.

Halloween Activities

Not Permitted (gatherings and events are not currently allowed under the Health Officer Order)

• Halloween gatherings, events or parties with non-household members are not permitted even if they are conducted outdoors.
• Carnivals, festivals, live entertainment, and haunted house attractions are not allowed.

Not Recommended

• Door-to-door trick-or-treating is not recommended because it can be very difficult to maintain proper social distancing on porches and at front doors, ensure that everyone answering or coming to the door is appropriately masked to prevent disease spread, and because sharing food is risky.
• “Trunk-or-treating” where children go from car to car instead of door to door to receive treats is also not recommended, particularly when part of Halloween events, since it is difficult to avoid crowding and sharing food.
  
  

Permitted and Recommended

• Online parties/contests (e.g. costume or pumpkin carving)
• Car parades that comply with public health guidance for vehicle based parades (PDF), including:
  • Drive-by events or contests where individuals dress up or decorate their vehicles and drive by “judges” that are appropriately physically distanced.
  • Drive-through events where individuals remain in their vehicles and drive through an area with Halloween displays.
  • Drive-in events where individuals can receive a treat bag (limited to commercially packaged non-perishable treats) or takeaway item from an organizer while the participants remain in their vehicle.
• Halloween movie nights at drive-in theaters (must comply with the public health drive-in movie theater guidance (PDF)):
• Halloween themed meals at outdoor restaurants (must comply with the restaurant protocol (PDF))
• Halloween themed art installations at an outdoor museum (must comply with the public health museum guidance (PDF))
• Dressing up homes and yards with Halloween themed decorations.