By Nicole Matheson

Halloween may look a little different this year, but thanks to some dedicated locals there will be plenty for all ages to enjoy this Oct. 31, in Lake Havasu City.

The popular Fright Night is back but restructured to  minimize concerns brought on by the pandemic, and a new tradition may just be taking root as a Havasu mother revives the spirit of old fashioned door to door trick-or-treating.

Fright Night

RiverScene spoke with Fright Night Committee Organizer Carole Coleman about how the event is coming together this year.

“The COVID pandemic has required every event organizer to think differently and creatively,” Coleman said. Lake Havasu City did not approve any street closures for the rest of the year, so the usual stomping grounds of Main Street for Halloween could not be used. This provided quite the initial challenge, along with how to organize an event that will also keep people safe. “We know the community will understand that Fright Night won’t look anything like it has in the past, but we are trying to do a little something for those families whom feel safe to enjoy the festivities throughout the evening,” Coleman said.

Samantha Zasadil/River Scene

This is the 15th anniversary of Fright Night, so it was important to keep the tradition alive for organizers. “Families enjoy a safe place to trick-or-treat and businesses love supporting the community,” Coleman expresses. “Fright Night has always been a successful tradition for Lake Havasu City.” So what is the difference this year? Fright Night will be broken up into ‘zones’ across the city to minimize social distancing concerns. There will be four zones total, with the overall theme being ‘The Ultimate Masquerade Event.’

Fright Night Zones. Courtesy Carole Coleman

The Zones

Zones for Fright Night will be Downtown Mainstreet for sidewalk trick-or-treating, where businesses and individuals will hand out candy plus food trucks will be at the ready, the Calvary Baptist Church parking lot for games and inflatables, Anderson Toyota for more activities and candy stations, and finally Cardinali’s Pumpkin Patch for barbecue night at the Lake Havasu Museum of History parking lot. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. and wrap up at 8 p.m. Remember in the Mainstreet zone, the street will not be closed so activities must remain on the sidewalks.

Those interested in participating in Fright Night or have questions, contact Carole Coleman at frightnighthavasu@gmail.com or 928-486-6860.

For more scary fun, don’t forget to check out Havasu’s scariest haunted house, The Lab II, with Hollywood-grade animatronic props and live actors. Check it out for four weekends in October from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. above La Vita Dolce on Swanson. And don’t forget to visit the RiverScene calendar for more events by clicking HERE!

If you would like to add your Halloween event to our calendar, you may submit it by clicking HERE.

“Kick It Old School”

When it was said that the streets would not close for Halloween and the fate of Fright Night was undetermined, one Havasuvian, born and raised, decided to start a movement for old school trick-or-treating that has caught on in a big way. Lauren Hall credits her 4-year-old son, Zaiden, with the idea that has blown up on Facebook, his wish to knock on doors and go trick-or-treating.

Hall recalled how the idea initially began. “I can’t be the only parents who still wants to do something for their child on Halloween. So I went on Orchids and Onions and I posted how bummed I was that holiday events are getting cancelled and asked who would want to kick it old school and just do old fashioned door to door trick-or-treating. And overnight it blew up. I had over 100 comments on it.”

Google Map of houses. Photo courtesy Lauren Hall

With the interest there, Hall decided she needed to carry this a step further. Equipped with a Facebook event page and a Google powered map, Hall has created a way for people to sign up and add their address to the map for parents of Havasu residents who will be handing out candy for Halloween. Now there are almost 2,000 people signed up on the event page to participate, with about 480 addresses pinned to the map.

“When I was little, I used to do door-to-door,” Hall said. “We didn’t have the Fright Night, so we would get in our mini van and my mom and dad would go up and down Havasupai and we would do door-to-door. So that’s what I knew and I loved doing that as a child.” And now it seems she will be able to offer this experience to her little one, and to hundreds of other children across our beloved city.

To view the Google Map of houses that will be ready for trick or treaters, click here Map of Houses

To get involved or for more information on Lauren’s map, visit https://www.facebook.com/events/750943228784442

Melissa Simpson’s home is ready for trick or treaters on San Juan Drive. photo courtesy Melissa Simpson