I went to my favorite Halloween theme park events sober. They were even scarier — and more fun.

Each park took a different approach to providing festive and fun alcohol-free options for non-drinkers. Some events had was hands-down the winner for providing amazing alcohol-free options. There, everywhere from the spooky-themed Halloween bar at Universal CityWalk to the kiosks selling food and drinks inside Halloween Horror Nights had mocktail options. In addition to specialty mocktails like sour cherry boba tea, most drinks on the spooky bar menus clearly indicated which cocktails could also be made as mocktails.

Attending events without alcohol felt freeing

Was I scared to attend Halloween events without an alcoholic drink in hand? Absolutely. But with a bit of pre-planning and the help of some great mocktail menus (and even the occasional Diet Coke), I realized there was nothing to be afraid of.

Not only was it incredibly exhilarating and fun to attend Halloween events sober, but like most social engagements in the last 11 months, showing up as my real self without leaning on alcohol as a crutch was rewarding and something I’m immensely proud of.