Celebrate Halloween by Supporting These Businesses!
Updated: Feb 26, 2022
Can you believe we are at the end of October 2021? Halloween is just a few days away! Here is a list of businesses you can support during the rest of spooky season and beyond! Follow their social media accounts, support and leave a review, and please share their businesses within your network.
If you're in New Orleans, visit Haus of Hoodoo at 1716 St. Charles Ave to shop a Black-owned Apothecary and Botánica for oils and powders, books, candles, incense and other products; they also offer spiritual services! Follow @hausofhoodoo on Instagram to learn more and if you're feeling open-minded, tune into Jessyka Winston's (Vodou Ayisyen) YouTube Channel as she debunks misconceptions and educates her viewers about Vodou. She even reminds us that we should always honor and ask for permission when working with Nature's tools and gifts to us; especially if such tools/herbs/plants are indigenous and ancestral to a given culture.
Haunted Houses can be a great family-friendly activity and/or social event for a group of colleagues and friends. All week, I've been reading different news articles highlighting a new, Black-owned Haunted House in Long Island, New York called The Terror Below. According to their descriptions, the attraction is a first-class haunted house with themed rooms, corridors, and a labyrinth of passageways. Due to how intense it is, the owners do not recommend youth under 14 years of age participating. Book your ticket here; but hurry and get your hands on the last date available, October 29th! Of course it is important for everyone to follow COVID-19 protocols when visiting these attractions, but I'm sure you all know that by now...
If you're reading near or around Centreville, Virginia, follow @hidden_gems_farm_va and visit their Veteran-owned and operated farm to pick your own pumpkin and shop ethically sourced and incredibly flavorful products with simple, clean ingredients. Hidden Gems Farm also features other activities like their sunflower, strawberry, and blueberry patches returning Summer 2022, and their goat play time sessions available to for bookings year round. Visit their farm to purchase fresh produce and seasonal baked goods like their apple cider donuts currently being sold. Not so spooky, but something to keep note of for the future!
Have you ever attempted a Corn Maze? Mr. Fred and Anita Surgeon are the owners of Fayetteville, North Carolina’s Sweet Valley Ranch which features a 10-acre Corn Maze with a pumpkin patch! At nightfall, their Backwoods Terror Ranch is transformed into a frightening adventure, taking guests over an hour to navigate 6 terrifying mazes (including a quarter-acre cemetery)! If that's too much for you to handle, there are other attractions to enjoy such as amusement park rides, inflatables, hayrides, and over 350 animals are home to this farm. Visit their website to check availability and purchase tickets for the attractions.
Perhaps you aren't in the mood to venture outdoors and engage in activities during these haunted times. I've discovered a women- and autistic-owned "gothic boo-tique" that sells teas, potions, artwork and other spooky commodities. Jackie Coburn, owner of Lavender & Thieves Co. shares her passion and love for tea and the medieval period; and her belief that through the power of imagery, aroma, written word and flavor of teas, you can create your own mindful rituals. Everything on her website has been marked down 15% throughout October!
There are many marginalized businesses and entrepreneurs to engage with during the fall season! Comment below with brands you supported in October and as you prepared for Halloween. As a friendly reminder, you will be able to purchase with a purpose, and support sellers on our marketplace this coming November!