How Miami takes Halloween to a new level. What to know about frights — fantasy and real

What are you doing for Halloween?

Dressing up at the office? Watching a horror movie at home? Joining the hordes in South Beach? Going to a neighborhood party? Hitting the streets for trick-or-treat?

So many choices that it’s scary.

Then there is the real-life horror: strange, dark homes that don’t offer candy and drivers who barrel into trick-or-treaters.

Here are some things you should know about celebrating Halloween in South Florida while avoiding trouble:

Halloween events in Miami area

Many of the Halloween events and parties happened over the weekend. But there are a few still going on through the Tuesday holiday.

▪ The House of Horror Haunted Carnival: The event at Miami International Mall is open Oct 31. Among the freaky activities: more than 20 rides including the Scarecoaster, a ghoul-themed rollercoaster; the Mayhem Museum; and the Theater of Terror. Miami International Mall is at 1625 NW 107th Ave.. Tickets are $20 to $50 at https://houseofhorrorcarnival.com

▪ Lincoln Road party: The spectacle spans eight blocks, and features creatures of the night starting at 7 p.m. in a parade filled with zombies, superheroes, witches, vampires. You can also be a voyeur if you stake out an outdoor cafe table. The parade of people runs on South Beach’s Lincoln Road from Alton Road to Washington Avenue. Kids can trick-or-treat from 5 to 7 p.m., with stores giving out candy.

MORE EVENTS: Where to celebrate Halloween in Miami

Trick-or-treat neighborhood map

Which households are handing out candy in your neighborhood? How would you know? Maybe word of mouth. Or a shining porch light.

But Halloween can be hit or miss, and who has time to search door to door for the best candy, or avoid the ones whose resident just aren’t that friendly?

Enter NextDoor’s Treat Map on which residents of the neighborhood. Residents can put information on the map to let users know what’s lurking behind the front door (Milky Way or Mounds?). There’s even a pin for homes giving out pet treats.

KNOW MORE: Which houses in your Miami neighborhood have the candy? Check out this Halloween map

Safety concerns on the street

Warnings: The Florida Department of Law Enforcement wants to keep your kids safe this Halloween. The agency has a few suggestions:

▪ Track your kids: If your child is going trick-or-treating with friends, take advantage of your phone’s GPS apps like Apple’s Family-Sharing app and Android’s Google Family Link app. Both Apple and Android users also can share their real-time location using their phone’s messaging app or Google Maps.

▪ Scour for sex offenders: Florida has over 4,000 sexual offenders and predators, and the state has a database to share their addresses. You can view it to help plan your Halloween route. The database, run by the FDLE, is not meant to be a judgment on risk level of an offender. It can be found at fdle.state.fl.us

▪ Pedestrian safety: And if all that is not scary enough, comes this warning from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles: Halloween is a deadly night for pedestrians.

“On Halloween last year, 2,590 crashes on Florida roadways resulted in 137 serious bodily injuries and 21 fatalities,” the department said in a statement. “Most of these crashes occurred at or around 7 p.m. – when many families with children were out celebrating. These numbers significantly increase from the previous year and almost a 25% increase in crashes with fatalities.”

So, if you’re driving keep an eye out for trick-or-treating kids. And parents and children should be aware of the cars on the road, especially when crossing a street.

MORE ON KEEPING SAFE: How to avoid risks on Halloween, so your kids can have fun treat-or-treating