Waikiki still attracts Halloween crowd despite the risk of COVID-19

Waikiki — normally a Halloween hot spot — was crowded Saturday night amid fears it would become the site of a COVID-19 super-­spreader event.

Halloween in Waikiki is typically bustling with thousands of costumed party­goers packing streets, bars and restaurants. Although crowded, it was relatively subdued early in the evening as bars remained closed and law enforcement also came out in force.

Honolulu Police Department Deputy Chief John McCarthy said police were trying to maintain high visibility, anticipating that the peak hours for Halloween in Waikiki wouldn’t come until about 10 p.m. through midnight.

McCarthy said early in the evening that outside of Waikiki, police didn’t have too much trouble with large groups in other parts of the island.

He said via text message that there was “nothing major” that police had to deal with other than “a couple of minor pop-up parties that were easily broken up.” He did say, however, complaints about parties were up slightly relative to normal weekends.

HPD Chief Susan Ballard said earlier in the week that police officers would be out in force to make sure that large gatherings did not take place, and specifically named Waikiki as one of the areas where police would be sent to prevent them.

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Even so, restrictions didn’t dampen creative ways to celebrate around Oahu.

Although trick-or-treating was still allowed, and a few people did participate, others were hesitant about doing so.

That was the case for Aka Davis and Aly Garcia, who instead took their family to the Bishop Museum — for the first time in about three years.

The Pearl City family usually goes trick-or-treating, but with it being frowned upon this year, they decided to head to the museum Saturday afternoon during its “Halloweekend” event.

At an outdoor station at the museum, Davis and stepson Kekoa Medina played several rounds of ulu maika and moa pahe‘e, Native Hawaiian games with similarities to bowling.

“It’s been weird, but this is fun,” Garcia said about their alternate Halloween plans.

The family planned on going home afterward to carve pumpkins and watch Halloween movies if nobody else went trick-or-treating.

Jason Foberg, manager of visitor experience at the museum, organized the event, although he said the station with the Native Hawaiian games and others, like identifying marine animal species or planting native plants, were already part of the museum’s weekend activities.

But families were encouraged to show up in costume and could earn a goody bag with candy if they participated in the activities.

It appeared to be a success, Foberg said. The museum decided to limit attendance to 500 people throughout the day, and by 3 p.m. about 490 people had reserved.

Bishop Museum was just one of a number of options — such as virtual costume contests or social-distancing-compliant trick-or-treating — available to those who were adamant about celebrating Halloween despite the challenges of COVID-19.

One of the biggest events on the island was the “Truck and Treat” drive-thru trick-or-treating at Aloha Stadium.

Participants who bought tickets to the social-distancing-compliant event drove through a section of the stadium’s parking lot to collect snacks and other treats from volunteers from businesses and other organizations that had set up stations.

Cars would stop at each station with trunks open, and volunteers would put the treats there.

The event sold out its 2,000 available tickets within a week, said Keoki Spain, who was with family and friends handing out treats while representing Aloha Baseline.

His wife, Samantha Spain, sales and marketing specialist for the stadium, was one of the organizers for the event.

The event was a hit for both participants and volunteers, many of whom were taking photos as they handed out or received bags of snacks.

“They’re out trick-or-treating, so they can have fun doing something for Halloween,” Keoki Spain said.

Jodie and Gavan Abe, who were volunteering for American Savings Bank and UHA Health Insurance, were dressed as various stages of a butterfly’s life cycle while handing out candy.

Their sons — Micah, 11, and Madan, 8 — were dressed up as caterpillars and handed goody bags to their father, dressed as a cocoon, who placed them in car trunks.

“Is this better than getting candy?” he asked his kids.

“Yup,” Micah said.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Jodie Abe, with butterfly wings on. “Kids get to at least have fun.”

Kris Louie, owner of Sweet Treats by Kris, and Scott Gonsalves, administrator at St. Louis School, were both helping hand out goodie bags, and noted the community’s ability to adapt during the COVID-19 outbreak that has upended the lives of almost everyone in the state.

“I think with the pandemic, people find ways to adapt,” Louie said. “People can still find ways to celebrate.”

Gonsalves, who was at the stadium with high school students Ryson Waalani and Drake Nohara, said it’s part of the school’s curriculum to teach students about adapting.

“Events like this give them real life practice,” he said.