NEW ORLEANS — There’s not much amusing about what’s happening at City Park’s Amusement Park these days.
Crews would usually be in the process of setting up the park for Ghosts in the Oaks right now, but instead, the gates are locked up tight and the only thing in the oaks is moss.
Bob Becker, City Park’s CEO, said there’s no way he can open up the amusement park right now for the annual fundraiser, as much as he’d like to.
"The restrictions that have been put in place have limited the park's revenue,” he said. “We're running through the park's reserves that we've built up over 15 years. This is not a sustainable kind of operation here.”
COVID-19 has derailed much of City Park’s finances, and operating revenue has fallen off sharply.
“In fact, we've lost over $4 million since March as a result of the restrictions,” Becker said.
Since the park can’t host Ghost in the Oaks the usual way, people can buy party packs to do things like carve pumpkins at home. The CDC says it does not suggest things such as traditional trick-or-treating this year.
Instead, the agency favors activities such as one-way trick-or-treating, where families can grab bags of candy set out for them or small, outdoor and socially distant costume parties.
In Terrebonne Parish, Sheriff Tim Soignet says he won’t ban Halloween this year.
“These kids are back in school,” he said. “We can allow them to have fun.”
Deputies will be out to keep an eye on things such as crowd size, but he expects parents to keep health in mind.
“Parents, be smart. Make sure your children are washing their hands and doing all the safety precautions you can,” Soginet said. “But the more important thing, we really got to get back to normal.”