Halloween is making a statement everywhere right now.

End caps of grocery stores overflow with bags of candy corn and mini chocolate bars. Skeletons and witches loom throughout the neighborhood, and farms, bars, breweries, museums and other venues are ready to entertain you, scare you silly, or both.

So, whether your idea of Halloween is a trunk or treat with other families, chased with streaming “Hocus Pocus,” or it’s more zombie run and Frightland, we’ve got you:

Right up there with apple-picking, corn mazes and haunted houses, pumpkin-picking has become a fall traditiion for many.

In 2020 alone, as many as 66,200 acres of pumpkins were harvested in the United States, producing over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins that year, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

From the classic orange jack-o’-lantern to the whimsical Cinderella’s coach, pumpkins are a staple of the season – and many are ripe and ready to be picked.

Here’s where – and how – you can pick your perfect pumpkin in the First State this fall.

Halloween is just around the corner, and a majority of Americans have begun their planning and shopping for Halloween costumes.

According to the National Retail Federation, an estimated $12.2 billion was spent on Halloween last year across the country, nearly a third of which was spent on costumes, and the shopping wave seems to start earlier and earlier.

Here are some stores around Delaware to look for the perfect costumes and decorations this Halloween season, plus some events and contests that will get the spooky season started.

It’s about that time of year when Halloween costume planning is starting to set in. 

If you’re out of classic ideas and looking for something topical and modern, here are some costumes inspired by the happenings of 2024 so that you’re the life of your upcoming Halloween celebration.

Halloween celebrations are filled with plenty of tricks and treats, and while horror-filled fun comes with the season, it may not be suitable for everyone.

Whether you have small kiddos in tow or want something a bit tamer, here are some Halloween celebrations around the state that are perfect for family outings and children of all ages.

Halloween thrill-seekers in Delaware, this spooky season’s events are ready to scare the pants off you, so going commando might not be wise.

Here’s a mix of freaky, witchy and eerie events that will be conjured around the First State, before and after Halloween.

If you thought southern Delaware had a lot of fall events, wait until you see the lineup for Halloween.

You’ll be fighting a candy hangover for months after attending all the parades, haunted houses, fantasy trails and more at or near the Delaware beaches. There’s no shortage of costumed events for adults, children, families, pets and zombies.

Mark your calendars for these events.

Halloween is still just over a month away, but that doesn’t mean it’s too early to start planning this year’s Halloween party.

Just in time for the spooky season, these Halloween cocktails are unique ways to get into the spirit. If Sober October is more your speed, it’s even easier to make these into equally refreshing alcohol-free beverages.

Delaware is also home to plenty of cocktail bars and breweries that serve fall-inspired drinks.

Here are some recipes to try at home and some Halloween-inspired brews to look for in Delaware.

There is no replacing trick-or-treating on Halloween. Kids and parents in costume greeting their neighbors and getting their favorite candy creates memories that can last a lifetime.

If you want an earlier start on the Halloween fun, there are some trunk-or-treats around the First State that can get everyone warmed up for holiday itself.

Trunk-or-treats are events where people park their cars and give out candy in a parking lot. Instead of a neighborhood, it’s a lot and instead of houses, it’s car trunks. Community center and churches are common places to see these events.

Grab a bucket, bag or pillowcase, throw on a costume and check out some of these trunk-or-treats in all three Delaware counties right as Halloween season is in full swing.

In the home state of Dogfish Head’s iconic Punkin Ale, craft breweries take fall seriously.

Over the next month, breweries will roll out autumnal-themed events tying all sorts of things ― horror comics, candy, brunches and cooking and pet costume contests ― to, well, beer, of course.

So grab your favorite flannel and make some plans to celebrate pumpkin season with some of the state’s best beer-makers.

The calendar has turned over to October meaning the clock is ticking for your Halloween preparations.

McDonald’s is ready, according to the Instagram site @snackolator. The fast food giant is bringing back Boo Buckets.

This Halloween season, forget about ghosts: The scariest thing is what the holiday does to the environment.

According to Waste Managed, Halloween generates a significant amount of waste, from discarded single-use costumes to nondisposable decorations to plastic candy bags.

Luckily, there are several ways to help curb your carbon footprint this year, but also make for fun new traditions for the whole family to enjoy.

Here are a few tricks-slash-treats you can help make for a sustainable and spook-tacular Halloween season.

As Halloween approaches, many revelers are eager to elevate their costumes with makeup but aren’t sure how to achieve their desired looks.

While envisioning a face painted hauntingly white, intricately marked with swirls of black paint, hollow eye sockets and adorned with red petal flowers, they end up with makeup that feels dry, coverage that looks uneven and fades quickly.

However, with the right tools and a bit of practice, anyone can bring their Halloween vision to life.

Whether you’re leaning toward creative glam or venturing into special effects and fantasy looks, Delaware-based makeup artists Daysla Ixtli and Chyna “Chy” Gibbs have expert tips to help you nail your spooky transformation.

It’s the spookiest time of the year and, in some cases, the only time you’ll see most of your neighbors.

Halloween is on the horizon, as shown by the holiday displays at local grocery stores, Walmarts and Targets.

Here’s what you need to know about Halloween.

Check out some creepy houses of Halloweens past.

Here are some tips to ensure a safe night of Halloween trick-or-treating.

DELAWARE – History has been made as Delaware State University has become the first HBCU to own and distribute a clothing line and private label merchandise brand.

DSU’s private label will expand the opportunity to control the products that students and the community wear and purchase. Dr. Dawn Mosley, Senior Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications says right now if you want to buy collegiate apparel, you have to click “other” to find an HBCU and that should be. She says their partnership with Everything Collegiate, LLC, a black-owned business based in Atlanta, Georgia, is another way to support black entrepreneurship.

Dr. Mosely says because they own their own merchandise, they have power over the proceeds, and they will be using that for their Lift scholarships dedicated to media-driven students. She says many may not even understand what an accomplishment this is.

“We haven’t owned it, and we should own it. It’s a business model, it’s not known to the collegiate space, but for HBCU’s it’s time for us to own the front of it and the back end of it. and that’s why it’s so significant… I’m seeing a lot of scholarship opportunities for other degree spaces, and I just didn’t see enough for our space, those of us who tell the stories.”

DSU apparel and items will be available on Amazon Marketplace, Walmart.com and on their website. Dr. Mosley says the first round of student scholarships from initial product sales will be awarded in spring 2025.

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

This story was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Delaware has expanded access to abortion after two pieces of legislation recently became law.

One of the bills signed last month by Gov. John Carney requires Medicaid, private health insurance and state employee insurance plans cover services related to termination of pregnancy. Coverage is capped at $750.

The measure, sponsored by House Majority Leader Melissa Minor-Brown, also bans most insurance plans, including ones covering state workers, from charging copays, applying deductibles or adding cost-sharing requirements for abortion-related services. Religious employers can get exempted from having to offer the coverage.

Speakers at Friday’s press conference celebrating the bills noted that women’s ability to access abortion care depended on the state where they live. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit that advocates for reproductive rights, 13 states have total abortion bans with limited exceptions. Another six states ban the procedure after six or 12 weeks.

Minor-Brown said Delaware’s protections are important because women in other parts of the country are dying. She pointed to reporting by ProPublica about a Georgia mother who died after a hospital delayed care under the state’s abortion ban.

“For years, medical professionals have warned us that access to abortion is literally a matter of life and death. There are states right now that have abortion laws in effect that date back to the 1800s,” she said. “These outdated, dangerous laws were written at a time when women had no voice, no rights and no agency.”

Stacey Haddock Hassel, board chairperson of Planned Parenthood of Delaware, said the bill is a huge step for abortion access because it will help more patients, including those eligible for Medicaid, afford the procedure.

“When we talk about the impact of this legislation, the size, the limit, we don’t know the number of women who would have been able to access abortion care had they been able to use their Medicaid coverage,” she said. “And we don’t know how many women didn’t have the $500 to come to Planned Parenthood and gave up not knowing their options.”

For Planned Parenthood Delaware’s last fiscal year, 24% of its total patient population were Medicaid recipients and 35% had commercial insurance, a news release said. More than 40% of patients used Planned Parenthood’s self-pay system due to being underinsured or uninsured. Of those, half reported incomes below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level — meaning many of them would have likely qualified for Medicaid.