Hey, you. Yeah. I’m talking to you. The one who could care less about this paper because it’s Halloween-centered and you hate Halloween.
Before you throw this issue aside, I’ll let you in on a little secret: There are other things to do on Halloween. You don’t have to lock yourself away. I have a list of five things to help you to have a good time on Oct. 31 while avoiding the festivities you may find annoying, routine, absurd or just plain boring.
Retreat from the hubbub of Halloween in Albuquerque. Head out to the Jemez Mountains, Cochiti Lake or one of the many campsites located within driving range. Do some stargazing, have a campfire, eat s’mores and, most importantly, be far removed from any kind of Halloween propaganda.
There are plenty of options at theaters that have zero to do with Halloween. Check out Tom Hanks in the CIA noir “Bridge of Spies,” Matt Damon in the SF flick “The Martian” or Johnny Depp as Boston gangster Whitey Bulger in “Black Mass”. While it is a bunch of actors dressing up as other people, there is no other correlation with Halloween.
Subvert expectations, head out to the lawless firework wonderland that is Moriarty and get yourself some good ol’ black-powder by the pound. The only connection to Halloween you’ll come across is the black cat on the wrapper that says, ‘you got the good stuff.’ It doesn’t have to be July or January to blow off some spinners, cracker jacks and bottle rockets.
Ignore the notion of Halloween and instead focus on the bigger picture: Fall is here! Enjoy the Maize Maze offered at Los Poblanos. They have an eight-acre corn maze (no scares), scavenger hunt (also no scares) and pumpkin painting (not the scary kind, I promise). Get away from the fake webs, Jack-o-lanterns and obscene piles of candy, all without leaving town. ‘Tis the season, so embrace it.
While the rest of the city seeks out scares and screams, appease your funny side. Grab a nice dinner and afterward, mosey over to the Box Performance Space and Improv Theatre for “The Show.” Throughout the evening, performers improvise skits and songs off audience suggestions along with any absurdity that crosses their minds. It may be the perfect way to ward off unwanted Halloween vibes, and maybe even crack a joke or two at the holiday’s expense (we all know there’s plenty of material there).
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Matthew Reisen is a news reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @DailyLobo.
