PETA’s Ultimate Guide to a Vegan Halloween

Scary season has crept up once again, bringing ghosts, goblins, and ghoulish fun! But fear not—there’s no need for tricks and treats that trouble animals. Whether visiting an animal-friendly pumpkin patch, hosting a vegan buffet, or creating wildlife-conscious decorations, PETA’s guide to vegan Halloween activities keeps the spirit of the season alive without harming animals.

Head to an Animal-Friendly Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkin patches are perfect for enjoying fall festivities, but it’s important to choose your destination thoughtfully. Opt for places that focus on activities like tractor-pulled hayrides, crafts, or just picking the perfect pumpkin. Avoid ones with animal attractions like petting zoos or pony rides, which entertain children by exploiting animals. Animals at these places are subjected to constant handling, often without breaks for rest, food, or water. Use your visit to an animal-friendly pumpkin patch as an opportunity to teach children about compassion—explaining that fun shouldn’t come at the expense of an animal’s well-being.

Carve and Share Pumpkins

Get creative with your pumpkin-carving designs, and don’t forget to roast the seeds for a tasty snack. When the carving’s done, light up your pumpkin with vegan candles made with soy wax. Paraffin wax harms animals by releasing toxic chemicals and soot into the environment, and beeswax is stolen from hardworking bees.

Squirrels and other animals love leftover jack-o’-lanterns. Be sure yours are safe to share by using only unbleached pumpkins, removing all wax remnants, and making sure the pumpkins haven’t become moldy. Keep pumpkins away from dogs, as large chunks can become lodged in their intestinal tracts.

Cook Up Some Pumpkin

Nothing says fall like the enticing aroma of pumpkin—everything! Try making vegan recipes, such as pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, or pumpkin soup. You can even make pumpkin spice lattes at home.

Host a Vegan Buffet

Host a Halloween-themed vegan buffet—costumes optional. You can even make it a potluck by asking everyone to bring a vegan dish to share. Check out these creepy treat ideas that are so good it’s almost scary:

• Tomato juice turns to “blood” when served in wine glasses. Olive “eyeballs” make a frightful garnish.
• Green smoothies rebranded as “swamp water” are an eerie twist on a healthy favorite.
• Guacamole, served with tortilla chips, becomes mushy “mashed brain” dip.
• Stuffed peppers carved like mini jack-o’-lanterns add a festive touch.
• Meat-free crockpot chili with vegan hot dog “toes” will have guests giggling.

Get Crafty With Animal-Safe Halloween Decorations

Create garlands, paper ghosts, and other DIY crafts using recycled paper, twine, and other natural elements like leaves and twigs. Skip the fake spiderwebs—they pose a real threat to wildlife. Owls and other birds, insects, and small mammals can easily become entangled in them, and if they ingest the material, it can cause vomiting and intestinal obstructions.

Keep Your Animals Safe

Halloween can pose risks for animal companions, too. Keep them safe by ensuring that their microchip and ID tags are current, storing candy out of their reach, and keeping cats indoors as well as leaving animals home when you go trick-or-treating.

Hand Out Vegan Treats

Treat trick-or-treaters to delicious vegan candies. There are plenty of kid-approved options, including DOTS, Airheads, SweeTarts, Smarties, and Twizzlers. These sweets deliver all the fun without nonvegan ingredients like gelatin. Plus, they’re an easy way to introduce kids (and adults) to animal-free snacking.

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