VANCOUVER, Wash. — It is October and Halloween is coming up soon. But some Halloween traditions are tweaked this year, thanks to the coronavirus.
Bi-Zi Farms has been in Clark County since 1872. The past two decades October has been a big hit at the family-run farm. But the trip to the pumpkin patch is a much less crowded experience year. Bi-Zi is limiting the crowds to 1/4 of normal and pre-selling tickets online.
“It is challenging, it is interesting, and (I will say) it is frustrating,” said Bill Zimmerman, owner of the family-run farm.
Zimmerman said the biggest frustration comes with the mask rule Bi-Zi is enforcing. While we found nearly everyone wearing a mask properly on Sunday, he said some have been vocal, opposed to wearing them.
“Above and beyond all else we want to make sure our customers have a good time and stay safe and that has been the challenge. And the people who are upset that we’re requiring masks, we go back to the governor’s mandate and we’ve just got to, yep that’s all there is to it,” said Zimmerman, who added that a lack of clarity in the mandate has added to the challenge.
In Vancouver, "Halloween on Franklin" is back this year. The annual tradition on Frankin Street is anchored by the display put on at the Mains family home.
To spread out the crowds, they've started earlier. You can see it all lit up with music and special effects every night starting now. Then the day before Halloween, it’s drive-by trick or treating, followed by a physically distant experience on Halloween night.
“They’ll still get their candy and we actually have this really cool candy shoot, said display creator Jim Mains. “It’s 20 feet long so the candy will go down and the kids can grab it here at the end and still have a cool different kind of experience with this whole COVID going on,” said Mains.
Back at Bi-Zi farms, many of the activities are still happening. You can still launch a pumpkin for a prize, and have fun just being with your family. Donning masks made sense to Kelsey Jeter, who was visiting the farm with her baby Scarlett.
“I feel great, I think staying safe and healthy is best for me and my daughter,” said Jeter.
It made sense for the life-long farmer Zimmerman, to keep things safe, but still worth the price of admission.
“They can still enjoy the outdoors, they can enjoy the corn maze and the pumpkin patch; we’ve got 20 acres of pumpkin patch that they can traipse over looking for the best pumpkin, the perfect pumpkin,” said Zimmerman.
And there are a lot of those perfect pumpkins, going home.