As the temperatures start to dip, the days become shorter, and front porches are adorned with a mix of chrysanthemums and bright orange pumpkins, it’s becoming clear that Spooky Season is descending on Gwinnett County. For our environmentally conscious neighbors seeking eco-friendly ways to commemorate Halloween this year, Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful has compiled the following list to help you get started on a Sustainable Spooky Season 2024…

Use Natural Elements in Your Halloween Decorations

Both inside and outside your home, you can create a look that screams, “It’s FALL, y’all,” using natural elements like gourds, mini pumpkins, larger uncarved pumpkins, calico corn, dried corn stalks, haybales, and chrysanthemums in an array of fall colors. You can also use LED or solar-powered Halloween lights to reduce energy usage and tackle a few DIY projects to craft your own Halloween decorations. White yarn can be used to create a spiderweb. You can fashion a spooky scarecrow using old clothes. Old jars can be reused as candleholders – simply wrap them in cheesecloth for a collection of creepy mummies. Your Sustainable Guide offers even more Eco-Friendly Halloween Decoration Ideas.

Source Your Costumes at a Local Thrift or Consignment Shop

For many families, Halloween costumes are one-and-done. They wear them once – maybe twice – during the Halloween season, and then they get tucked away in a closet. For those who drop them off at a local thrift or consignment shop, they are creating an opportunity for you to find a great costume close to home for far less money. Look to Kid 2 Kid in Buford, Goodwill, Salvation Army or any of the thrift and consignment shops throughout Gwinnett County to find costumes for the whole family. Even if you don’t find a premade costume, you could source pieces to create your own look. Look to the decades – like the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, or ‘80s – or careers – like cowboy, lumberjack, librarian, mime, and more – for inspiration. Once Halloween has come and gone, please return the favor and donate them BACK to your local thrift shop.

Create Trick-or-Treat Bags You Can Reuse Each Year

Do you have a couple of white or black pillowcases that have seen better days? While they might not be fit for placing on the guest bed, they may be ideal for reimagining into trick-or-treat bags. You can even make an occasion out of a decorating party – complete with hot cocoa and popcorn. Gather up the hot glue sticks, felt, scissors, fabric paint, and more – then see where your kids’ imaginations take them. A white pillowcase may be reimagined as a ghost, a black pillowcase may wear the face of a scary vampire or mummy, and a green pillowcase may be transformed into Frankenstein’s monster. You can even opt to tie-dye your cases – a great idea if one of your rugrats is trick-or-treating as a hippie straight out of the 60s! Once you’ve emptied them of their candy hauls, tuck them away in a spot for safekeeping until NEXT Halloween.

Shop Locally for Fall Recipe Ingredients

The arrival of Autumn brings the return of your favorite Fall recipes. From chili in a big black stockpot to a variety of pies that warm you from the inside out, you can source many of your ingredients at local farmers markets that boast fresh eggs and produce, grass-fed beef, farm-raised chicken, fresh-baked bread, and so much more. Braselton, Duluth, Suwanee, Lilburn, Norcross, and Snellville all boast farmers markets – although some close up for the season at the end of September, so be sure to check before you point your car in that direction. For permanent farmers markets around the county, look to Nam Dae Mun Farmers Market in Duluth, Lilburn, and Lawrenceville, or City Farmers Market in Duluth, Norcross, and Snellville.

Stick Close-To-Home for Frightfully Fun Destinations

Spooky Season is also a great time to explore local pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and haunted destinations. In addition to its regular attractions, including the maze, hayrides, pony rides, and more, Buford Corn Maze now offers a “Scream Vampire!” 3D Ultimate Scare Zone experience – presented with Chromadepth 3-D technology, which brings environments and illusions to life. The Lawrenceville Arts Center plays host to Haunted Cemetery Tours weekly in one of the Southeast’s oldest and most haunted cemeteries. Stone Mountain is home to Stone Mountain Park’s Annual Pumpkin Festival AND the nationally acclaimed Netherworld Haunted House. Visit Explore Gwinnett for even more Halloween events and activities. Don’t miss the Yellow River Trick or Treatment Fall Festival on Saturday, October 26, from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm. This free, family-friendly event has everything you need to enjoy a brisk fall day with your family. Come play games, enjoy free food, make crafts, take a tour, touch-a-truck, and learn about valuable services provided by community organizations – like Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful. It’s hosted at 808 Tom Smith Rd SW in Lilburn.

Gift Your Pumpkins Back to Nature (and Your Leftover Candy to Those in Need)

Once you’ve blown out the candles on your Jack-O-Lanterns, consider depositing them in the woods just off your backyard. Local fauna – like deer, squirrels, birds, rabbits, groundhogs, mice, raccoons, porcupines, and more – love to dine on them. If you carved a little too early and your pumpkin is nearly rotten, be sure to deposit it in your compost bin or pile. Was your trick-or-treater activity a little lower than anticipated? If you’d rather not consume all those leftovers yourself, you might want to consider donating them. Organization like Soldiers’ Angels can ship them out to our troops, Ronald McDonald House can give them to chronically ill kids and their families, or local retirement facilities can give them to senior citizens who still have a sweet tooth.

From all of us here at Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful, we wish you and yours a FUN and SAFE Spooky Season!

KB 9/24/24