These jack-o’-lanterns not only look cool, they don’t leave a mess

Did anyone say boo?

Spooky times are ahead. Halloween is just 11 days away.

1. Trick or sleep?

The age-old question seems to come up every year: Should Halloween be moved to a Saturday?

Oct. 31 falls on a Thursday this year. That means sugar-crazed kids may keep their parents from getting a full night’s rest before work on Friday.

A nationwide survey by Bid-On-Equipment reported that 52% think Halloween should be moved to the last Saturday in October.

Ironically, next year’s Halloween is on a Saturday. But it falls on a Sunday in 2021 and a Monday in 2022, so maybe the other 48% will come around.

2. No-carve pumpkins.

Pumpkins tend to get a messy when you carve them, but they make great jack-o’-lanterns.

But knives aren’t the only way to make a pumpkin look cool.

ParentMap, a monthly magazine for parents in the Puget Sound area, recently shared 10 no-carve, no-mess ideas for Halloween.

Make your pumpkin into a hedgehog using toothpicks, googly eyes, black buttons, brown foam and card stock. Or turn it into a mummy with googly eyes and a good wrapping of gauze. You can also make patterns and pictures on your gourd using glow-in-the-dark fabric paint.

More at www.parentmap.com.

3. Be a zombie.

Calling all zombies and ghouls: The sixth annual Snohomish Zombie Walk is Oct. 26.

Meet at 3 p.m. at Artisans Mercantile, 117 Glen St. Then at 4 p.m., after a group photo, lurch south on Union Street to First Street to Avenue D, then U-turn back toward the east on First Street. It’s about a half mile total. Stay on the sidewalk.

Bring “rations for the survivors” — aka donations for the Snohomish Food Bank. Get your face painted like a zombie for a fee from 2 to 4 p.m.

More at www.historicdowntownsnohomish.org.

— Evan Thompson, Herald writer

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