4 Trick-or-Treat Alternatives Your FEC Can Host This Year

Are you looking for Trick-or-Treat alternatives to host at your family entertainment center this year? 

While many Trick-or-Treaters may be anticipating the festivities on October 31st, it's important to acknowledge that not everyone will have the opportunity to join in on the fun.

Here are a few Trick-or-Treat alternatives your FEC can host to keep things exciting!

4 Trick-or-Treat Alternatives Your FEC Can Host This Year

Let's jump in!

1. Halloween Parade

Let's make Halloween extra special this year with a costume parade that's all about kids and parents showing off their spooktacular outfits. How about extending an invitation to your local schools to keep this wonderful tradition going right at your place?

If you have outdoor space, this is a great way to celebrate.  Encourage imaginative and themed costumes. If you have a facility mascot, have them dress up and lead the pack! 

At the starting line, you can have each decorated participant join in on a game before they flaunt their costume.  A “guess how many items in a jar” contest with Halloween-themed candy, witch's fingers, or plastic spider rings is a fun way to start this Trick-or-Treat alternative. You can also offer prizes from your redemption center or a free day pass to your facility.

If hosting an in-person walking parade isn’t possible, host a drive-by costume parade where cars drive by your facility with their windows down, allowing kids to show off their costumes to your staff! You can also encourage families to decorate their cars, too. The most "best-dressed" car wins a prize!

2. TRUNK-or-Treat

Another idea is to host a “TRUNK-or-Treat” in your family entertainment center’s parking lot!

The goal is to have kids grab candy from the trunks. Encourage or require participants to provide pre-packaged treats. Costumed children will still have the experience of walking door-to-door (trunk-to-trunk!) to collect candy!

Invite your customers to decorate the trunk of their cars and have them park in front of your facility, displaying their creative handy work for all to see. Consider introducing a little friendly competition. Offer prizes to the best decorated, most on-theme to your FEC’s brand, funniest, or scariest trunk! Decide ahead of time whether you’re going to choose the winners yourself or open it up to a community vote.

You can generate revenue for your business by selling admission tickets for the event using your online store.  To make the event even more seamless, use your online booking module as a way for people to reserve a parking spot for their vehicle! 

3. Pumpkin Decorating Contest

Another great trick-or-treat alternative to host is a pumpkin-decorating contest!

Encourage all types of contributions from embellished and painted pumpkins to carved jack-o-lanterns and pumpkin head scarecrows. 

Now, you might be thinking, "How do I spread the word about this awesome event?" Well, no worries! If you're short on time, our handy PCS Marketing Automation Suite has your back. It lets you easily whip up social media campaigns, design eye-catching posts, and schedule them to give your business a boost.

Have participants submit an image of their creations by a certain date. This way, you can create a post or thread on your social page with every entry and allow folks to vote on who should win!

As for prizes, winners could score some awesome treats like free passes to your facility, discounts on birthday parties, or even a cool item from your redemption stash.

Plus, having everyone share their pumpkins on your social media page is a fantastic way to spread the word about your family entertainment center. So, let the pumpkin fun begin! 

4. Character Meet and Greets

Another great way to encourage guests to visit throughout the month of October is to host character meet and greets.

Invite popular Halloween characters like witches, vampires, or friendly monsters to meet and greet with kids, take photos, and hand out treats.

These fantastic characters are ready to make every child's day extraordinary. They'll warmly meet and greet your young guests, making them feel like they've stepped into a fantasy world. And, of course, there will be countless opportunities for photos to capture those precious moments, creating memories that will last a lifetime.

If you have an online store, this is the perfect opportunity to extend the enchantment beyond the meet and greets! You can offer character-themed merchandise like costumes, accessories, or even autographed photos and actively sell them via your online store. This way, families can take home a piece of the magic and continue the Halloween fun long after their visit!

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We'd love to hear your thoughts. What do you think of this post? Do you have any favorite Trick-or-Treat alternatives?

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