With Halloween around the corner, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its guidelines for celebrating the holiday safely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the CDC, low-risk Halloween activities include celebrating with close family or holding virtual events with others.

The risk level begins to climb with activities like trick-or-treating, indoor gatherings and crowded parties. The CDC also recommends avoiding Halloween events outside of your town in order to prevent spreading it elsewhere.

Throughout the month of October, there will be Halloween celebrations here on campus, both in-person and virtual.

The Mahurin Honors College Planning Board will be hosting social media contests all throughout October. Some of the contests include best halloween-themed door, best pumpkin painting/carving, spookiest short story and best halloween drawing, and best costume contest.

The contests will be held each week of October. More details about them can be found on the WKU Honors College Instagram, @wkuhonors.

Along with these virtual celebrations, the Potter College of Arts and Letters will be holding their annual Fall Festival on Wednesday, Oct. 28 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Colonnades. Social distancing and masks will be enforced at this event.

“Precautions include spacing out department and student organization booths around campus outside their home buildings and providing hand sanitizer at each table,” Communications Coordinator Kelly Scott said. “A few activities are virtual, including the costume contest.”

Activities at this year’s Fall Festival include a College Cup Competition, a pumpkin decorating contest, a food drive, a costume contest and a t-shirt scavenger hunt.

For more information on upcoming WKU Halloween events, visit @wkuevents on Instagram.

Jacob Latimer can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @jacoblatimer_.