This year would have marked the 10th annual Dark Carnival.

But due to COVID-19, the university has decided to cancel the in-person Dark Carnival and replace it with Virtual Spirit Week 2020.

Director of Communications Julee Mitsler said that cancelling these events was not an easy decision.

“The health and safety of our campus community, and the surrounding St. Charles community, is our top priority,” Mitsler said in an email. “We have canceled Homecoming and Dark Carnival because hosting these events would contradict measures that have been put in place to keep our communities safe.”

The Dark Carnival is an outdoor event hosted on Lindenwood’s heritage campus in late-October.

The event has a different Halloween theme each year and features many attractions such as booths, games, entertainment and haunted houses. The event is well received from the St. Charles and Lindenwood community. In past years, it has brought in as many as 12,000 people.

The Dark Carnival is a tradition loved by many students, including senior Addison Curcuru who has attended the carnival for the past three years.

“I think it’s unfortunate but if they are canceling Oktoberfest in Saint Charles, a county with no mask restriction, then I think it was the appropriate decision,” Curcuru said in a text message.

Virtual Spirit Week is a mix of both homecoming, which was also canceled this year, and the Dark Carnival.

According to the Lindenwood website, the university has “decided to implement a new weeklong series of events that adhere to our safety guidelines, with many engaging activities for our Lindenwood Family.”

Virtual Spirit Week is Halloween themed and will feature events such as a Door Decorating Competition and an Alumni Hallo-Zoom Party that are aimed towards Dark Carnival and homecoming. The week will kick off Monday, Oct. 26.

“We hope to see high participation for Spirit Week and we have incorporated many types of events with great prizes,” Mitsler said. “Looking to the future, we hope to host Dark Carnival during Spirit Week in coming years and cannot wait to see what opportunities await for our students and employees to demonstrate their creativity.”

Spirit Week 2020 Events:

Oct. 26

• The week will start with a virtual town hall. President Porter, the Lindenwood Student Government president, and Alumni Relations will kick off the spirit week and announce updates and more details.
• Hallowed Walls decorating contest. Student organizations will paint mini murals to be displayed along Butler Way Street.
• LU Food Fight
• T-shirt giveaway to students, faculty, and staff at either the Pavilion, the LARC or Evans Commons from 1-5 pm.

Oct. 27

• Window decorating contest
• Door decorating competition

Oct. 28

• Zoom Quizzical Spooky Spectacular
• LU Cribs Competition

Oct. 30

• Alumni Hallo-Zoom Party
• Digital Lion Dance