It might seem that planning a Green Halloween is just too much work and way too expensive. Some fear it might even zap the fun right out of the day. But creating an eco-savvy Halloween doesn’t have to be scary, nor does it have to cost an arm and a leg. Not only does Green Halloween show us how to make choices, it also lessens the load by giving us a great portion of the solutions. We do the research; you have the fun!

Two of Daytona Beach’s upcoming Green Halloween events are both taking place on Saturday, October 29th and both are FREE of admission charges.

Hallogreen® is taking place from 8-2pm in City Island Park near 105 E Magnolia Avenue, Daytona Beach, 32118.

The Green Pumpkin 50/50 Challenge is taking place at the Port Orange Green Market from 8-12noon at 5501 S Williamson Boulevard.

The 3rd annual Hallogreen® festival is our local signature event, incorporating just about every aspect Green Halloween works to get people to consider when making more sustainable choices. Eek-O Costume contests for both kids and dogs. Treat-or-Treasuring (cuz we don’t trick). Paddle boarding lessons on the Halifax River. Our vendors list features over thirty eco vendors including nonprofits with eco and family friendly missions, local agriculturists and urban farmers and growers, handmade local crafters, holistic pet adoption, natural alternatives to beauty and health, upcyclers, arts and crafters, and more…you get the picture.

Entertainment Schedule

8am The CITE (opening band)

9am Eek-O Doggy Costume Contest

10am Eek-O Doggy Fashion Show

11am Daytona Beach BellyDance

12noon Eco Fashion Show (Teens Go Green’s annual fashion show)

1pm Eco Kids Costume Contest

2pm Give-away (raffle)

Vendors List:

Alexa Duncan Illuminated Studio, Americans for Fair Taxation, Aquarian Bath, ARS, Artistry by Jordan, Aurora Perfumes, Celedon Road, Coffee & More (Java Fit), Creative Garden Structures, Daytona Beach BellyDance, Florida EcoNet, Green Halloween®, Heart and Soul Designs, Honest TeaNatural Awakenings, Jack White Land Company, Midtown EcoVillage, Nelle Booth Quilting, Occupy Daytona Beach, Ruff Ragz, Second Chance Rescue, Sophie’s Circle, Star n Crossbones, Teens Go Green, Terry Westlin Designs, The CITE, Three Brothers Paddleboards, Volusia County Recycling, and the World Famous Ice Cream Boat

The Green Pumpkin 50/50 Challenge is based on a Yale study where children were given a choice between a healthy treat or toy or conventional candy Over 50% chose the healthy treat or toy, and we are psyched to see if we reach the same results (Our sponsors treats are so delicious, we might even beat the statistic. ;-D ) Activities include pumpkin crafts, face painting, a Silent-Auction and contest for Jack-o-lanterns carved by local Port Orange restaurants and chefs, and more.

Vendors:

Over 30 vendors will be featured at the Green Pumpkin including Thirty One Gifts, Amanda’s Dance, Smart Start Tutoring, Little Gym, Inspiration Learning Center, and Florida EcoNet and Green Halloween®.

Move over orange and black.

Join the movement and go orange and green.

It’s a scream!

We have officially launched our Green Halloween season here in Daytona Beach as of our recent Eek-O Freaky Costume Swap this past Oct 8.

We’re very excited to announce that we will no longer have our event on the pavement…(HURRAY!)…instead, the City of Daytona Beach has allowed us to move the Hallogreen to City Island Park overlooking the Halifax River, where we will be trailing the vendors nicely around the sidewalk area. We are very grateful to Daytona Market, LLC for sponsoring this new location. Be sure to ask Cheryl Kelly about Daytona Markets and the City of Daytona Beach’s plans for their upcoming CITY MARKET (public market). Can’t you just picture the sparkling glimmer of the water and feel that City Island breeze?

Well, the other good thing is that this change provides a bigger location, which means we can potentially accept more vendors. So we have extended the completed application deadline to Saturday, October 22nd. If you have not yet sent your application, please do so asap, and be sure to tell any and all of your friends about this spook-tacular event.

A great big THANK YOU to our SPONSORS:

Daytona International Speedway, Jack White Land Company, Goodwin Heart Pine Co., Honest Tea, Stretch Island Fruit Co., Glee Gum, SurfSweets, Cascadian Farm, Larabar, Nature’s Path Organic, Eden Foods, Panda Licorice, SunButter, Martinelli’s (Organic Apple Juice), Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, Teens Go Green, Daytona Beach Belly Dance, The CITE, Sophie’s Circle, and NaturalCandyStore.com

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Green Witches to you all!  ;-)

Four years ago when I started as a Green Halloween® coordinator, I couldn’t find anything eco friendly unless I decided to go to the local thrift and reduce-reuse-recylce…recreate! Nowadays there are multiple companies making costumes from natural fabrics and lead and mercury free dyes (like jute, hemp, organic cotton or silk, or flax fiber), and increasing sources where the average retail customer can buy fabric to make their own bio-boo creation…however not all of them are easily available in our local market, as most of our sources are only available online.

Green Halloween® approached the eeko-o costume dilema in a most ingenious way, by launching National Costume Swap Day in 2010. Daytona Beach is hosting our second Eek-O Freaky Costume Swap this year. Details below:

Saturday, OCTOBER 8th 1-3pm

Eek-O Freaky Costume Swap

First Presbyterian Church

620 S Grandview Avenue

Daytona Beach, FL 32118

*FREE ADMISSION!

Come, Mama, Papa, kids and dogs, too!

Drop off *costumes 1-2pm. SWAP 2-3pm Sample healthy treats.
Get Treat-or-Treasures ideas.
Advance purchase Hallogreen® festival Give-Away tickets.
Kids Craft table.

*Costumes must be in good condition with no tears or stains.

Leftover costumes will be donated to a local charity.

*Admission is FREE, but donations to our local nonprofit beneficiary, Florida EcoNet (http://floridaeconet.net/) accepted.

ALL SWAP PARTICIPANTS QUALIFY for Hallogreen® festival’s Eek-O Dog and Eek-O Kid Costume contests on Saturday, October 29th at the Daytona Beach Downtown Farmers Market (visit httpp://greenhalloween.org /daytona for more info).

KIDS CRAFT: Children ages 1 to 13 can enter to win the ChicoBag™ art contest by drawing a design that best captures the “Spirit of a Green Halloween®” using the provided ChicoBag™ design template and medium of choice.

DROP OFF:

Costumes can be dropped off at

Sophie’s Circle Pet Food Bank

ON WEDNESDAYS from 10am to 2pm

933 Beville Road, Ste 102J

Daytona Beach, FL

P.S. Also accepting donations of dog or cat food.

Click here for more swaps http://www.greenhalloween. org/CostumeSwap/

Costume Swaps are a terrific way to have the same variety as shopping in a store, but without increasing the waste added to the landfill, and saving money in the process. People bring complete costumes as well as remnants of costumes for dogs, kids and adults. It’s all welcome as long as the remnants and complete costumes are free of tears and stains, and in good condition. (In other words, the patrons are always happy to share and trade).

If you don’t have a costume to share, you can still do your part to reduce the waste added to the landfill and help others stretch their budget by following the suggestions below:

• How about purchasing costumes from a thrift store to trade or donate, or better yet,
• ask your neighbors if they have a few they would like to remove from their household.

Check out our National Costume Swap Day video courtesy of Green Halloween founder, Corey Colwell-Lipson:

I remember spending whole days gluing, and fixing, wiring and sewing costumes, crowns (most of which ended up on my overfed–indulged–lovey cat Mittens), bookmarks, bookcovers, and anything else I could think to make. Through the eyes of a child, everything has potential, and the possibilities are endless.

Below are a few links to some crafts for nifty items perfect for Halloween, and versatile enough to be applied to just about any other holiday or gift. First learn the skill, then use your imagination to discover the possibilities.

Candy Wrapper Purse

Candy Wrapper Bracelet

Origami (how about using that leftover wrapping paper)

Foo Fabric Monster

Waste Paper Top Hat

Piggy Hat

Now, reducing waste is always best, so if you can join a Costume Swap or make costumes from materials you already own, all the more power to ya. But supporting eco businesses is also a great sustainable choice. Vintage boutiques, and thrift stores are a wonderful source for reused costumes.

Ecologically made costumes also exist. Here’s a list of a few sources you may enjoy.

Green Halloween costume ideas

EcoMom costumes

EcoParty Time

A Toy Garden

Nature’s Baby Blankets

Hope that helps for now.

I just might increase the list, a bit later.

The Green Halloween website is a fabulous source for information on how to make this transition super sweet, and one of our local Daytona Beach sponsors can definitely help you source your eco-friendly, healthier candy handouts.

NaturalCandyStore.com has the world’s largest selection of natural, organic, fair-trade, vegan, gluten-free, allergy-friendly, and corn syrup-free candies!  Gummies, lollipops, chocolates, caramels, hard candy, novelties, and much more — all made without artificial colors or flavors. ”All the FUN without the FUNNY Stuff!” –www.NaturalCandyStore.com

Bulk quantities are available, too. What a perfect excuse to get a few of your friends roped into the Green Halloween movement. Online purchases over $50 ship for the low cost of $6.99.

Get what you want. Spread the word. Save money!                 Sounds like a great green idea to me.

Aquarian Bath products are made with all natural, and some organically grown and therapeutic grade ingredients.

Mrs. Trusty is a trained herbalist who gained part of her knowledge from the University of Washington where she studied Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is well known for her expertise, respected by local fellow herbalists, and is considered by many to be a local alternative health guru.

Her workshops are always jam packed at the Hallogreen festival, and we are thrilled to have her back.

To get a hint of what Aquarian Bath has in store visit her site and take advantage of the Christmas in July sale. The coupon code is CIJ10off at http://aquarianbath.com/ or on Etsy.

Now, many of us know, that most of the dog food available for our pets is actually composed of diseased, decaying materials unfit for human consumption, but Chicken Soup actually makes their food out of a standard of meat and produce that many of us would be privileged to eat ourselves–”fresh, pure and wholesome.”

The way I see it, the best should be rewarded with the best, and my lovey dovey pooches are definitely, the best.

This is why I asked Diamond Pet Foods last year if they would consider sponsoring Daytona Beach’s Green Halloween, and I feel so very honored to announce that Mr. Frank Hill of Diamond Pet Foods has confirmed their commitment to continue as a Gift-in-Kind sponsor for their 2nd year in a row, and is even looking into providing some samples of Bright Bites’ treats for our friendly eek-o pooches.

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul can be purchased at a variety of Pet Stores here in the Daytona Beach area including Pet Supplies Plus in Port Orange.

Treat your most loyal friend like a prince or princess…because they are, aren’t they.

Artistry by Jordan specializes in custom hand painted vases and crafts, as well as hand painted stainless steel water bottles.

For more information on Artistry by Jordan email artistrybyjordan@gmail.com or visit her booth at the Hallogreen on Saturday, October 29th at the Daytona Beach Downtown Farmers Market.