SAW puppet Billy and Halloween slasher Michael Myers will add to the Axford family's spooky fun house this month. Prop-maker Anthony Axford is preparing to wheel out his horse-drawn hearse again for trick-or-treaters on October 31 in COVID-safe fashion for a second year.
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Mr Axford had wanted to still develop his annual display, despite pandemic restrictions, for people to enjoy. He is planing lollies in zip-lock bags, hand sanitiser and social distancing and gathering protocols once more but said people were generally pretty good last year and he expected no different from families this All Hallows Eve.
Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton on Tuesday said people could and should enjoy Halloween but in a safe fashion.
"They'll understand how many active cases are out there in the community. We're at thousands now. There will be hundreds of people who are not aware that they're COVID positive who might be out and about at the end of October for Halloween," Professor Sutton said. "So people need to stay within those limits and they need to wear masks and they need to keep their distance.
"But, you know,families will want to enjoy Halloween. My family will have kind of a Halloween at home where there'll be dress-ups and a kind of Halloween hunt in the backyard.
"...It's not to say that they can't visit along the street, but we want people not to gather with other family members to the extent possible, again, staying within those gathering limits for fully vaccinated adults that will be in place for the road map."
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Alfredton Rotary Club's popular Halloween festival will be online with members keen to stick to offering a safe event. The club is hosting a best spooky photo competition with prizes for children, adults, families and pets.
Monsters will come to life in the windows of the former Valpied's shop at the bottom of Sturt Street with witches and a werewolf set to appear in the week leading up to Halloween.
The club will also host a colouring competition with details available via Alfredton Rotary Club's Facebook Page.
Alfredton Rotarian Kathy Rivett said the club's Halloween even had boom from 400 spooky guests to 1400 within three years and they hoped to keep momentum going until people could dress-up and celebrate in person, altogether, once more.
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