Over the years that I’ve lived here, I’ve noticed the culture at large embracing and having fun with the idea of Halloween. Penang has so many of its own rich and colorful multi-Religious traditions and celebrations that Penangites are used to dressing for special occasions!
Halloween provides an opportunity for the whole family to dress-up simply to be silly, creative, and to go have a good time (and of course eat too much candy)!!
For those who may not be familiar with Halloween (which is on 31 October, but as that lands on a Monday this year kids will celebrate the weekend prior) basically children dress-up in costume and go door-to-door “trick-or-treating,” and in return for their cuteness they expect small (wrapped) candies to be dropped into their plastic pumpkins! So be prepared with candy for when your doorbell rings!
A lot of condos organize their own internal Halloween parties but this year so far I’ve heard about StraitsQuay, CityJunction and Hin Bus Depot having embraced a range of Halloween activities that are open to the public. I’m sure there’s a lot more going on about town (I’ll keep updating this post as I hear more so keep checking back!)
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22nd – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30TH
TANJUNG TOKONG
STRAITS QUAY:
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22nd
TANJUNG TOKONG
CITY JUNCTION:
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28th
TANJUNG TOKONG
ISLAND PLAZA:
https://penangkidsguide.com/moon-moon-art-center/
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29th
GEORGETOWN
HIN MARKET @ THE HIN BUS DEPOT:
Hin is hosting a big, free-admission, Halloween evening party that looks perfect for teens or high school kids on Saturday 29, October. The event for the younger kids is on Sunday (scroll down to see details)
And did you notice the prize money for best costume!!! Not bad!
For more information on Hin click here:
https://penangkidsguide.com/hin-bus-depot/
YOUTH PARK
AFTER SCHOOL SKATE SESSION:
For all skateboard and Halloween enthusiasts this event is made for you! Looks like loads of fun and some great prizes are available!
For more information on After School Skate Session check this out:
https://penangkidsguide.com/after-school-skate-session/
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30th
GEORGETOWN
HIN MARKET @ THE HIN BUS DEPOT:
Another big question is where to get costumes?
The best ones are always home-made, but if you don’t have time to get creative, you might be able to get an online delivery here by Halloween if you hurry – it’s getting tight! Otherwise here are some places to try around town:
Party Fete at Straits Quay:
Party Fete has a pop-up shop in the middle of the atrium and I was really impressed with their collection of costumes, decor and party items! The general pop-up theme features Harry Potter (even if your child doesn’t love the series, think about buying a costume now for the next book day at school!) but they also had a range of other costumes from babies all the way to adults!
Balloon Wonderland:
Another option is Balloon Wonderland. There are two locations: one in the basement of Gurney Paragon (behind the Flip Burger), and in the Queeensbay Mall (on one of the upper floors). There is also a Halloween pop-up shop at Gurney Plaza:
https://www.facebook.com/www.balloonwonderland.com.my
Supermarkets:
The big supermarkets also tend to offer a small assortment of costumes as well as decor items. Try Jaya, Mercato and the Village Grocer in City Junction. I took these snaps there:
https://www.facebook.com/CityJunction/
Halloween Decor
In America, the unofficial home of Halloween, people will go from leaving simple pumpkins of their doorstep to going over-the-top with their Halloween decor. In case you want to make your home look more festive, beyond the decorations available at the costume stores, there are a couple of other places you can look.
SSF on Anson Road (sorry I don’t have any photos to share from there)
https://www.facebook.com/ssfansonroad
Let’s Meat at Permai Park also has a few small Halloween decor items by All Things:
All Things at Let’s Meat
http://www.allthings.my
There is also a gift shop on one of the 5th floor of Gurney Plaza called S&J Co. that has Halloween items. There are a few other locations in Penang. Click this link to discover where they are: https://www.snjgift.com/outlets
If you know of any other places to find costumes or decoration please add them to the comments below, or message me and I can add them to the post!
Happy Halloween and have fun Trick or Treating!
