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Halloween Guide

From piles of Jack-o-Lanterns on your neighbors' doorsteps to scream-worthy costume parties to loads of free candy, there's more than one thing to love about Halloween, even if you're not in elementary school anymore.  

Regardless of your age, the infamous October 31 has something to offer you for a morning, afternoon or night of fun. In fact, ghoulish fun lives closer than you think.  

These local Halloween events will make you happy that October is coming to an end (and not just because Thanksgiving's less than a month away, either). Check out what Richmond's doing on the spookiest day of the year. 

Richmond's Halloween legend, the Creepy Hollow Hayride , returns for its 17th year. Take a narrated tractor drawn hayride into the depths of Creepy Hollow. This is one ride you'll need to scream to survive! The ride is filled with spooky scenery, amazing illusions and scary surprises. It's a unique experience designed to entertain you at every turn. Open select nights starting Oct. 10, Admission is $13, call (804) 346-FEAR or visit http://www.creepyhollowhayride.com/ for additional details.

Looking for as an intense walking adventure? Then check out Scream Forest in Glen Allen. The concept is simple. They put you on a wagon, take you into the woods and leave you to fend for yourself against the creatures of the night. No one cares if you scream … even if civilization, aka Short Pump, is only 10 minutes away. Admission is $13, call (804) 346-FEAR for additional details. Discount coupons, maps, hours and directions available at http://www.screamforest.com/

Blood Lake Haunted House , run by Haunts of Richmond , promises to be a scary delight. Taking place of the year-round Widow's House, which no longer exists, house visitors explore the mysterious murders of a 1974 slaying. Cobblestones Park, 13131 Overhill Lake Lane, throughout October on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Admission: $15. Call (804) 343-3700 for more information.  

Ashland Berry Farm presents Haunted Evenings , a frightening farm full of frightening and fearful affairs. Watch three scary acts and take a hayride in the woods. Hayrides start at 7 p.m. and the last tickets are sold at 10 p.m. Haunted Evenings runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday in October, as well Thursday, Oct 30. Entrance to Booger Woods is $20, Dr. Boz's Labyrinth is $8 and Hailey's Mortuary of Madness is $6. The "Scream Pass," which includes all three attractions, is $23 with discounts for groups of 15 or more. Ashland Berry Farm, 12607 Old Ridge Road, Beaverdam, Va. Call (804) 227-3601 for more information.

Haunts of Richmond presents Shadows of Shockoe , a walking ghost tour through Shockoe Bottom, reveals the terrifying tales of Richmond's most frightening neighborhoods. Hear tales of trauma and tragedy that have led to numerous reports of paranormal activity. Visit the infamous Church Hill train tunnel, haunted civil war hospitals, the children of the Poe Museum and more. Runs Thursdays through Saturdays, at 7:30 and again at 9 p.m. with specific dates and times. Meet your guide at the Edgar Allan Poe Museum , 1914-E E. Main St. $15. For more information, call (804) 343-3700. Tickets are available online at hauntsofrichmond.com.

Kick off Halloween early with CMoR's Spooky Party ! Celebrate with "spooktacular" music, art projects, games, story readings and a costume parade with Seymour the Dinosaur. Oct. 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Children's Museum of Richmond , 2626 W. Broad St. Free with museum admission. For more information, call (804) 474-7000.  

Come celebrate the season with the Master of the Macabre . Poe's Pumpkin Patch , designed for children ages 2 to12, will feature games like Pin the Tale on the Black Cat and a Tell-Tale Heart Scavenger Hunt as well as face painting, balloon animals and plenty of candy. Costumes are encouraged. Oct. 25, 3 to 5 p.m. at the Edgar Allen Poe Museum, 1914-16 E. Main St. Admission: $5. Call (804) 648-5523 for more information. 

Celebrate the joys of harvest time at Goblins and Gourds Sunday FunDay with costume parade, pumpkin painting, harvest activities and live music by the Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra. Help out the Central Virginia Foodbank by bringing a canned donation. Oct. 26, 1 to 4 p.m. at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden , 1800 Lakeside Ave. Free with Garden admission.

Take a 30-minute, haunted canal boat ride on Richmond's Eerie Canal along historic Kanawha Canal! A Haunts of Richmond narrator will accompany you, prepared with daunting tales of Richmond's past.  All children receive candy. Oct. 31, 6 to 10 p.m., at the Canal Turning Basin located at Dock and 14th Streets. Free. Call (804) 788-6466 for more information. 

Pumpkin Picking at the Ashland Berry Farm is always a family-friendly time. With over 30-acres to choose from, you're sure to find the perfect pumpkin to turn into a jack-o-lantern. Come out to pick on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekdays beginning Oct. 8 from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Ashland Berry Farm, 12607 Old Ridge Road, Beaverdam, Va. Call (804) 227-3601 for more information.

Don't miss the Family Fun Festival with plenty of games and activities at the Chesterfield Berry Farm . Take a hayride out to the pumpkin patch and pick your very own pumpkin, or get lost in the new Haunted House and Corn maze and the Scary Fun Barn. Visit the Animal Corral, take a pony ride, jump in the moon bounce, ride in the barrel train ride/wagon train rides, walk through Pirates' Cove, shoot corn out of the corn cannon, play in the hay play area or the toddler play area. Enjoy from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 4 through 5, Oct. 18 through Oct. 19 and Oct. 25 through 26. $5-$19 per person. Call (804) 739-3380 or visit chesterfieldberryfarm.com for more information.

Join Lakeside Youth Baseball for a hauntingly good time at their Fall Festival featuring the Field of Screams . Try your luck at carnival games, enjoy plenty of food and Trick-or-Treat to your hearts delight andif you dare walk the incredibly haunted Field of Screams trail through the spooky fields. Oct. 30 and Oct. 31 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. $5 for 20 carnival game tickets and $5 for the Field of Screams trail. Lakeside Baseball Field located near the intersections of Lakeside Avenue and Hilliard Road. Call (804) 262-3744 or visit lakesideyouthbaseball.org.

Gather up your little goblins and head over to Willow Lawn's Halloween Fun Fest . Dress up in costume for Trick or Treating, arts and crafts provided by Ben Franklin Crafts & Frames, free giveaways, merchants specials and more! Look for the "We Have Treats" signs in windows for Trick or Treating. Oct. 31, from 5 to 7 p.m. Free. For more information, visit willow lawn.com.

Check out the Mechanicsville Riding Club's Halloween Fun Show , where horses wear costumes! Oct. 25, 9 a.m. at the Pole Green Park Equestrian Center . School starts at 8 a.m. with youth, adult and novice divisions. Participate in Hunter, Western, Gaited, Hunter Hack and Costume classes. $8 per class. For more information call (804) 328-2599. 

The Fifth Annual Cat Tales & Cocktails is a pet-friendly party that will include a silent auction, light hors d'oeuvres, music, costume contests and more. Take home complimentary Three Dog Bakery Vanilla Woofers pet treats and a complimentary portrait of your pet from Wolfgang Jasper Photography. Oct. 31, 7 to 10:30 p.m. at the Robins-Starr Humane Center, 2519 Hermitage Road. Tickets, which are $20 in advance and $30 at the door, cover food and beverages. Admission for designated drivers and guests under 21 attending with a parent or guardian is $12. Call (804) 521-1318 for more information. 

Check out Alley Katz's "Helloween" with musical acts including Kevin Beckley, Cast Upon Blind Eyes, For Death and Glory, Crunk Butter, Save the Martyr, Silent Weapons for Quite Wars, The Roger Young and They Found Her in Pieces. Oct. 31, 4 to 9 p.m. at Alley Katz, 10 Walnut Alley. The show is open to all ages. $5 with costume, $7 without. Call (804) 643-2816 for more information. 

Zombiewalk 2008 : OK, I myself do not know much about this but in searching for events to include in the guide, I found this and it seems way too Halloween to not include. So, for a brief synopsis: all participants must dress up as a zombie (the gorier, the better) and meet up at a specified location (still to be determined but it's looking like somewhere in Carytown) where everyone walks around together in a parade of the living dead. Interested in learning more details? Then check out the site zombiewalk.com and log in for updates on the Richmond event and how you can walk as one. While there is no registration, any donations will go to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Become a member of the Zombie Elimination Task force during the Undead Invasion presented by Ravenchase Adventures. Identify and eliminate zombies in the city before their legions spread and takeover the metro area! Agents who accept the mission will use gadgets, crack codes and follow clues as they explore the city in a whole new way. If you're lucky enough to escape the clutches of brain-eating zombies, ghouls and other twisted souls will be rewarded with glory and tacky prizes. Saturday, Nov.1 starting at 7 p.m. $40 per person. For more information, call (888) 702-9039 or visit undeadinvasion.com.

Monster Mash at James River Cellars gives all you "big kids" something to scream about for Halloween. Enjoy a howling good night with a patio costume party feature DJ Bill Holiday, light food, a costume contest, ghostly tours and a special wine tasting. Bring a picnic and of course, some friends. Oct. 31, 6 to 11 p.m. $13.34 plus tax per person which includes admission, wine tasting, a souvenir glass, live music, light appetizers and a winery tour. For more information, call (804) 550-7516 or visit jamesrivercellars.com.

Join L.A. Theatre Works (LATW) , America's premiere radio theatre company, for a special double bill of chills and thrills as they present two masterpieces of science fiction and adventure: War of the Worlds and The Lost World, in the Camp Concert Hall, Booker Hall of Music at the Modlin Center . Recreating the breathless pace of Orson Welles' infamous radio broadcast, LATW makes it clear why H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds is truly the mother of all space invasions. In Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, follow a harrowing four-person scientific expedition deep into the Amazon jungle—and back in time. From riding the rapids to dodging arrows, The Lost World will take you on a ride you won't soon forget! This production features actors from The X-Files, Star Trek Voyager and other Sci-Fi channel favorites. Oct. 29, once at 7:30 p.m. and again at midnight. $34. For tickets and more information, call (804) 289-8980 or visit modlin.richmond.edu.

(updated!) Faison's Amazin' Pumpkin Palooza at the Science Museum of Virginia not only gives you the chance to check out some amazing pumpkins, but do it all for a good cause. Teams of up to four people will carve 50, 100+ pound pumpkins into intricate masterpieces that are judged in a variety of categories and is great fun for both participants and attendees! On Friday, Oct. 17 from 6 to 9 p.m., enjoy viewing the carving teams in action, live entertainment, heavy hors d'oeuvres, beer and wine at the preview party. During the family festival on Saturday, Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., participate in children's arts and crafts, vendors, live games, inflatables and more. A Costume Contest for children ages 2-10 will be held at 3 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person for Friday and must be purchased in advance. For more information, call (804)  612-1947 or visit the faisonschool.org.

Theme Parks

 

Everyone is dying to get into the Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion boasts seven brand-new mazes, four scare zones and more creepers than ever before. Runs Sept. 26 through Nov. 1, 7 p.m. to midnight on Fridays; 10:30 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. Use your season pass or buy tickets for $31.99 on Fridays, $54.99 general admission and $31.99 junior admission on Saturdays and Sundays or the Twilight Ticket for $31.99 after 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, online purchases only. Call (804) 876-5000 for more information or visit haunt.kingsdominon.com .  

 

Celebrate the scary season at Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Williamsburg with haunted mazes, terrifying scare zones and many sinister shows. Runs Oct. 3 through Oct. 26, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Sundays and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays. Tickets are $56.95 general admission and $49.95 for children ages three to nine. Children under two get in free. Call (800) 343-7946 for more information or visit howl-o-scream.com/williamsburg.

 

Trick-or-Treating 

Trick-or-treat a new way at Chamberlayne Baptist Church's Trunk or Treat , where Trick-or-treaters receive candy out the back of their decorated cars. Also enjoy a raffle and games. Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. at Chamberlayne Baptist Church, 215 Wilkinson Road. Call (804) 266-8735 for more information.  

 

At Genworth Foundation's Halloween Hoopla , children can experience safe trick-o-treating. Visit the museum's six Fan District-style life-size houses filled with scary decorations. Pumpkin painting, games and art projects will complete the evening. Oct. 31, 4 to 8 p.m. at the Children's Museum of Richmond , 2626 W. Broad St. Free for children and $4 for adults. Call (804) 474-2667 for more information. 

 

Haunted houses, crafts, pumpkin painting, magicians and games are only some of the activities planned for the 10th annual Trick or Treat Street Halloween Fair for children at the University of Richomnd. Children also will be able to trick or treat for candy, have their faces painted, enjoy several moon bounces and participate in a costume contest. Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a rain date set for Oct. 25. $10 per child. For more information, call (804) 289-8505.

Did we miss your event? Send an email to news@richmond.com and we'll add it to the list.