Ellensburg Halloweek took place Oct. 26-31 and included a number of Halloween related activities and events put on by the Ellensburg Downtown Association both online and in-person. 

The in-person events required volunteers and participants to wear masks and take other social distancing guidelines into account.

Director of Tourism and Events at the Ellensburg Downtown Association Madison Ford said the festivities this year were catered to all. 

“Halloween in Ellensburg offers something for everyone, even the families who don’t want to experience any physical contact with others,” Ford said. 

Ford said events like the candy bag grab offered a fun experience for kids to dress up, get a bag of candy and other prizes and celebrate with their families without even leaving their vehicle.

“We are proud that organizations within our individual communities and county as a whole have come together, offering safe and festive ways to celebrate together this year,” Ford said.

Some of the festivities included a haunted homes driving tour around Ellensburg sponsored by Habitat for Humanity. 

The car ride experience displayed homeowners’ halloween decorations across town while drivers could stream Halloween music from Ellensburg Community Radio. 

Ford also said Cle Elum did a “phenomenal job” in pulling off several events right in the downtown core, including the BOO-CRUISE, a festive parade that kids could safely enjoy from a distance.

Alumna Maddie Hesse said she remembers Halloween in Ellensburg from previous years and thinks the event lineup this year seemed to make the best of things, despite the health guidelines and restrictions in place. 

“Obviously things aren’t the same this year, but I think [the Ellensburg Downtown Association] did a good job making sure people and kids stayed safe and still had fun at the same time,” Hesse said. 

According to Hesse, the Ellensburg Downtown Association puts on fun events every year. 

She said she looks forward to attending them and seeing everyone get in the Halloween spirit.

“I think it’s cool that they were still able to put on some of them virtually,” Hesse said. “The fact that people can still experience the usual Halloween stuff without physically being anywhere is actually pretty amazing.” 

Alysa Johnson, an exercise science major, said she drove by some of the houses on the haunted homes tour with a group of friends and enjoyed seeing everyone’s Halloween display. 

“A ton of people around town went all out this year on the decorations,” Johnson said. “The houses on the tour were all pretty impressive this year, but the one house that looks like a castle on third was our favorite for sure.” 

According to Johnson, the haunted homes tour is worth driving through no matter what age you are. 

She said she wants to make the drive around decorated neighborhoods with friends part of her Halloween tradition.

“Honestly, I like going around and seeing people’s decorations more now than I did when I was little, so it really doesn’t matter if you’re an adult or a kid,” Johnson said.