Halloween-themed fall fun offerings for the local area
With the cool fall weather here and Halloween right around the corner, there are plenty of spooktacular events for the entire family in the tri-state area.
NEW JERSEY
Fright Fest
The event features family-friendly day time events such as the Trick-or-Treat Trail, Professor Slithers’ Creepy Critters animal show and Spooky Kooky Magic Show plus the new Monster Maze. After 6 p.m., the festival transitions to “fright by night” as nearly 200 zombies are released into the park. This fall, the park will introduce a new terror trail – Total Darkness, a blackout maze. Lakefront will be home to a new scare zone, Straw-Man Stalkers, with blood-thirsty scarecrows. Terror Trail favorites like Voodoo Island, Asylum, Wasteland and The Manor, now indoors, will return to terrorize guests. In total, Six Flags will offer six haunted walk-throughs and four scare zones.
When: Through Oct. 27. Hours vary on day.
Where: Six Flags Great Adventure, 1 Six Flags Blvd., Jackson, N.J.
How much: Included in park admission.
For more information: sixflags.com/greatadventure.
Great Pumpkin Festival
The festival will include family-friendly events such as: U-Pick pumpkins, corn maze, pig races, farm animals, hay maze, gem mining, duck races, carnival rides, hay rides and more.
When: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Columbus Day, Oct. 14 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., through Oct. 31.
Where: Heaven Hill Farm, 451 Route 94, Vernon, N.J.
How much: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays $7 per person, Saturdays and Sundays and Columbus Day, Oct. 14 $9 per person and children under 2 are free.
For more information: 973-764-5144 or heavenhillfarm.com.
Harvest Festival
Crystal Springs Resort’s first-ever Harvest Festival will be a celebration of autumn, featuring seasonal fare, local produce and handmade goods.
Festival-goers can sample local wineries and hard cider mills; peruse more than 35 vendors — many from the Sparta Farmers Market — stocked with fine handcrafted pottery and art, handmade soaps, artisan breads and cheeses, jams and mustards, unique fruits and vegetables; learn about the making honey from Crystal Springs’ on-site beekeeper and visit his hives at the farm; or taste seasonal gourmet soups, Mangalitsa Pig burgers, rabbit kebabs or the multitude of other fare grown at the farm or sourced locally.
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 13.
Where: Green Valley Farms at Crystal Springs, 135 Route 94, Vernon, N.J.
How much: Free.
For more information: 973-827-5669 ext. 3.
Camp Iliff Halloween Bash
Ghostly Tales and Scary Story Room; Frankie the fortune Teller; Haunted Rock Climbing; Spider bounce house; Tubes and Slides; Costume contest; Donut Eating contest; Craft Table; spooky Snacks at Snack Bar
When: 6 to 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26.
Where: 280 Spring Street, Newton, N.J.
How much: $10 entry fee, parents free.
For more information: 973-383-7231 or www.campiliff.com.
Spooky Time With Wacky Dracky Illusions
This ultimate Halloween illusion show is a visual feast of grand illusion by Wacky Dracky and the enchanting “Diva of Darkness,” Morgan. Illusionist John Bundy creates illusions, all with a gothic flair. The entire production is infused with Broadway style sets, imaginative dance numbers, special visual effects, and a cast of ghouls, ghosts and things that go bump in the night. Young magicians and performers in training are encouraged to sign up for a workshop session after the show.
When: 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3.
Where: The Lackland Center, 715 Grand Ave., Hackettstown.
How much: $20 for adults and $17.50 for children under 12 when purchased in advance. Post-show workshops are available for $18.50 for interested participants. All ticket orders for concerts and special events increase $5 when purchased on the day of the performance.
For more information: www.centenarystageco.org or 908-979-0900.
NEW YORK
Blaze and Horseman's Hollow
The Great Jack O’ Lantern Blaze includes more than 5,000 jacks, many fused together in elaborate constructions such as life-size dinosaurs and 8-foot-tall working jack-o’lanterns-in-the-box, all lit up throughout the wooded walkways, orchards, and gardens. Washington Irving’s macabre tale "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" inspires Horseman’s Hollow, an interactive haunted attraction recommended for ages 10 and up. Stocked with professional actors and state-of-the-art special effects, Horseman’s Hollow has a high fear factor and is not for the faint of heart. All events are held rain or shine. Proceeds support Historic Hudson Valley.
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 11 for the blaze and 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 2 for the horseman's hollow.
Where: Philipsburg Manor, 381 North Broadway (Route 9), Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.
How much: $16 for adults ($20 on Saturdays), $12 for children 3-17 ($16 on Saturdays), and free for children under 3 and Historic Hudson Valley members for the blaze. $20 ($25 on Saturdays) and Historic Hudson Valley members receive a $5 per ticket discount for the horseman's hollow.
For more information: 914-366-6900 or hudsonvalley.org.
The Forest of Fear
Guests can enter the slaughterhouse haunted house that is filled with lurking ghouls. There will also be a slaughterhouse sideshow featuring actors walking on swords, lying on broken glass and more. There is also a monster smash show where monsters will battle it out and a coffin ride where guests ride inside a closed coffin. This event is not recommended for children under 8.
When: 7 p.m. to midnight Friday, 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 27.
Where: Sterling Forest, 800 Rt. 17A, Tuxedo Park, N.Y.
How much: $20.
For more information: 845-351-5174 or renfair.com/forestoffear.
Pure Terror Screampark
Offering three attractions in one new location, Museum Village, where guests will go deep into the pitch black woods in an area the local's call "The Devil's Field" through a real haunted village built in the year 1940. There are also our three all-new haunted houses — The Crypt, Phobia and House of Terror.
Where: Historic Museum Village, 1010 Route 17M, Monroe, N.Y.
When: 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, 7 to midnight Saturday and 7 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Nov. 2.
How much: $10 to $30.
For more information: 845-391-0071 or www.pureterror.com.
PENNSYLVANIA
Poe Reading
A dramatic Halloween Reading by the American Readers Theatre Company “A Night With Poe” adaptations of four works of Edgar Allan Poe. Dramatic readings were a common form of entertainment for 19th century families. Selected works of Edgar Allen Poe were included in the Pinchots' personal library collection.
When: 6 and 8 p.m., Saturday Oct. 26.
Where: Grey Towers, 151 Grey Towers, Milford, Pa.
How much: $20 per person.
For more information: 570-296-9625 or greytowers.org.