Halloween events for students in Tampa

This Halloween season, students can take part in events that benefit a variety of causes, such as a 5K costume fun run to benefit the homeless. SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE.

Halloween will be bittersweet for college students this year: it falls on a Monday. But that does not mean that they can’t have fun. 

There are many events in Tampa, and some on campus, that students can take part in over the course of the next week leading up to Halloween. 

 

5K costume fun run

 

Hope for the Homeless at USF will be hosting a costume fun run — Trick or Trot — Saturday starting at 9 a.m. at the USF Campus Recreation Trails. The entry fee is $15, and participants will receive a t-shirt. According to the event’s website, “All ages are encouraged to participate and there will be a costume contest and raffle to offer fun for the whole family.” 

The money that is raised will be going toward care packages for the homeless community in the area. Free Chick-fil-A will be provided for the first 50 students to register using their USF email.

The event is also still in need of helpers. Volunteers are encouraged to dress up as well, and will need to be there at 7 a.m. to help set up. They will be helping with water stations along the trail during the race and cleaning up after.

Interested parties can go to the Trick or Trot 5K website for more information.

 

Pumpkin patch

 

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay started its 14th annual pumpkin patch event Saturday and it will continue until Oct. 31st. The pumpkin prices range from $5 to $25, and all proceeds go to the pets at the shelter. The patch can be found at 3607 N Armenia Ave. and is open Monday to Friday from noon – 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Trick or treat

 

For the college student who is still a child at heart, the Tampa Riverwalk will be hosting its first ‘Trick or Treat along the Riverwalk’ event Saturday. Starting at 5 p.m., participants are invited to put on their costumes and walk 1.1 miles between the Tampa Bay History Center at Cotanchobee Park & Curtis Hixon Park. There will be over 20 points set up along the mile that will provide Halloween snacks, food and beverages.

 

March of the Pumpkin King

 

This year, the City of Tampa will be putting on a parade for adults — sorry, under-21s — on Saturday. Taking place on Seventh Avenue at 7 p.m., participants for the March of the Pumpkin King must be at least drinking age with a valid ID.

There will be music and club lighting set up on the balconies of the buildings along the parade route. Participants can walk behind the float of their choice, and discounted food and beverages will be available at certain venues afterward.

The rules of the parade state that people who wish to take part must be in costume and “be in the assigned staging zone between 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.,” according to the website. Parade walkers cannot be visibly intoxicated and cannot have open containers of alcohol during the march. 

There should also be no political or religious signs, and anyone that wants to throw beads during the route can either purchase them at the parade — $10 for a bag of 12 — or bring their own, as long as they have proof that the strands contain no lead.

General admission tickets start at $20. More information can be found at marchofthepumpkinking.com.

 

Paranormal Investigation

 

Living up to its reputation as one of the most haunted buildings in Tampa, the Tampa Theatre will be hosting its ‘Late-Night Lights-Off paranormal Investigation’ on Saturday at 9 p.m. as a part of its ‘A Nightmare on Franklin Street’ series.

The four-hour tour will include food and drinks, as well as expert paranormal guides from Genesis Paranormal Services and GhostStop, who will be demonstrating paranormal investigative equipment. They will be focusing on five of the most supernatural occurrences at the theatre, including Foster ‘Fink’ Finley, a projectionist who died in 1965 after 35 years of employment at the historic cinema. 

Tickets start at $60 for the public, with a $10 discount for Tampa Theatre Members. Students can find out more about the event at tampatheatre.com.