Oh, Halloween. That time of year when young adults use the holiday as an excuse to dress up in cheesy costumes and get super-drunk all weekend long. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Halloween. I love the spooky energy in the air and sitting down for a horror movie binge. This October we even got a Friday the 13th! However, I’m not a huge partier who likes to go out to the clubs, so if you’re anything like me and hate going out on Halloween, here’s a list of ten things to do instead of getting sloshed:

1. Go to a corn maze. McNab’s Corn Maze & Produce Farm in Cedar is $8 to enter. You also get a hayride with your ticket, which takes you to a pumpkin patch to pick out a pumpkin to take home with you. Go with a group of friends, split up, and see who can give the best sneak-attack scare.

2. Take bets with those friends on how many of the same costumes you’ll see… how many Wonder Womans will be out clubbing this year?

3. Have a scary movie marathon. Some of my favourite thrillers on Netflix right now are As Above So Below, Creep, The Invitation, and The Berlin Syndrome. Netflix also has a Halloween genre section to browse, and don’t forget the classics: Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family, and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

4. Bake fall treats with pumpkin ingredients. Halloween Swirl Cream Cheese Brownies from the cooking blog Persnickety Plates is an easy recipe and so, so delicious.

5. Read a scary book! VIU’s own Shanon Sinn just released his new book, The Hauntings of Vancouver Island. Order your copy from Amazon today and read it for Halloween. Shannon will also be doing a reading of the book on Friday, October 27 at VIU.

6. Have a campfire, or cozy up beside a fireplace. Sip on some hot chocolate or warm apple cider while you’re at it.

7. Visit a farmer’s market and get some decorative gourds—the weirder looking the better. The Cedar farmer’s market officially closes for the season at the end of October, so make sure you get one last visit in until next year.

8. If you’re willing to grab the ferry over to Vancouver, you can’t miss Fright Night at the PNE. One ticket gets you access to all eight haunted houses and 20 rides. Book your ticket online and save on passes.

9. Carve pumpkins, duh. Once you have your pumpkin from McNab’s Corn Maze, have some friends over to have a pumpkin carving competition. Don’t forget to roast the seeds for a crispy snack.

10. Study. I know, boring. Unfortunately, this is what I’ll be doing this Halloween. At least my grades will thank me. Truthfully, there’s no better feeling than being done homework way before it’s due. (And nothing scarier than a forgotten assignment.)