Fall is my favorite time of the year and is the best time to enjoy free or low cost family fun! With a little planning, you can find plenty of festivals, pumpkin patches and Halloween events in your area. To find a list of fall events in Georgia, check AtlantaParent.com and AccessAtlanta.com. Also check your local Parks and Recreation website and the Georgia State Parks http://www.gastateparks.org calendars (many events are free). Sign up for Groupon.com and Goldstar.com to get daily emails for great deals on tickets to a haunted house or pumpkin patch. Here’s a few extra-special events to add to your calendar:
October 23-24, 30-31: Boo at the Zoo – a spooktacular family-friendly Halloween festival www.zooatlanta.org.
October 23-24: Georgia A-Scary-Um: a family friendly Halloween event www.georgiaaquarium.org.
October 23: Costumes are a big part of the season, but have you considered going green this Halloween? Take part in National Halloween Costume Swap Day at the Gwinnett Environmental & Heritage Center. Drop off used costumes any day in October in the lobby. http://greenhalloween.org.
October Weekends: Frightfest at Six Flags: Buy 3 – 2012 Season Passes for just $64.99 each and get 1 free Season’s pass + free Season Parking + Admission to FrightFest is included! http://frightfest.sixflags.com/
MORE ON COSTUMES:
Even this time of year, you can find great deals on costumes. Shop 6pm.com for up to 75% off (http://www.6pm.com/halloween) and The Costume Express http://www.costumeexpress.com clearance section for up to 85% off costumes. Remember the days of making your own costume? Find How-To’s on Instructables.com for making a unique Halloween costume. Looking for handmade and vintage costumes or decorations? Be sure to check with etsy.com for some one-of-a-kind thriller finds. You can find previously owned costumes on ThredUp.com for $5.00 plus s/h. Listings with a Jack-O-Lantern icon include Halloween costumes.
HALLOWEEN GOODIES:
Having great loot to hand out is a must on Halloween. Each year I try to offer a fun mix of candy, rings, and small toys. I begin in early October and look for coupons in the Sunday paper, on Coupons.com, and on manufacturer websites and shop the sales each week with my coupons. I also stop by the DollarTree to pick up candy, toys, glow-in-the dark necklaces, and other fall trinkets.
Families can find a bounty of fun in the fall while yielding a harvest of savings.
(Published in AroundAbout West Canton and AroundAbout East Canton magazines – Oct 2011)
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Helen Maddox teaches couponing classes and helps families weathering financial challenges through her blog ( www.thelifeboat.info) . Helen is available to speak at your church, school, or community function: thelifeboat.info@comcast.net.
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