Halloween in Boothbay Harbor – boring, right? Wrong! There is a whole host of fun things to do this year on All Hallow's Eve. Here are a few ideas.

1. Ever seen those buckets of candy left out with signs that say “please take 1”? Set one up on your front steps in the lap of a spooky mannequin ... except it's not a mannequin, it's you, and you are going to give the trick-or-treater the scare of his or her life. Be judicious with this; it's no fun making a 3-year-old cry. Save the scares for the older kids.

2. Hide behind gravestones at the Pear Street cemetery at night and making scary noises (or use a Halloween CD if you want) when people walk by.

3. Wear a costume at your job. It's the one day a year you can get away with it. And if you have the day off, wear your costume around town. Make people smile.

4. Buy popcorn at Coastal Maine Popcorn company in fall flavors (glazed pumpkin donut!), pick up a pizza at Home Town Convenience and host a scary movie night at your house. Recommended movies: “Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Halloween,” or “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (good for parties with kids). Not recommended are “The Brave Little Toaster,” “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” or “My Little Pony Equestria Girls.”

5. Volunteer at the The Boothbay Railway Village for the Ghost Train. The Village needs volunteers to help October 21-25 to turn the train and areas of the Village into ghostly scenes. On Friday and Saturday, October 25 and 26 the Village needs volunteers to scare the screams out of visitors! Contact Margaret Hoffman at the Boothbay Railway Village at 207-633-4727.

6. Dress up like the Grim Reaper and stand in the middle of the sidewalk. Randomly point at people walking by. The slower you raise and lower your arm when pointing the creepier you'll look.

7. Help hand out candy at stores for the CLICK Annual Halloween Parade. Starts at 4 p.m. at the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library, and goes to the Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, with little kids dressed in costumes. Not suggested for people with a low tolerance for cuteness.

8. Visit a haunted house or go on a Halloween hay ride. Some of them are so scary you have to be over 14, or sign a wavier to go through. Who says Halloween's only for kids?

9. Take your kids/grandkids/nephews/nieces/etc., trick-or-treating. Get some exercise and have fun. Wear a costume and walk with the kids to the door. Please, don't bring a trick-or-treat bag with you if you are an adult. Just do like my mother did and sample the candy to make sure it's safe.

10. Turn off all the lights in the house and hide under the blankets, praying no kids come trick-or-treating ... because someone ate all the Halloween candy bought “for the kids.”