Spooky times for October weekends
By Cazzy Lewchuk, Staff Writer
Happy Halloween, boils and ghouls! The holiday falls on a Saturday this year, meaning there are two spooky weekends for the October festivities. Haunted themed activities are abundant across the Greater Vancouver area, with something for everyone to enjoy. Whether itâs a slightly-spooky family-friendly event for the wee ones or a no-ghosts-barred terrifying time for those truly in the spirit, October is the most horror-ific time since election season.
Family-friendly/slightly-scary:
Pumpkin patch/corn maze/hayride: These public areas offer a place to find the perfect jack-âo-lantern and learn more about agriculture. Offering autumn activities and fun specifically for children, these attractions exist all across the Lower Mainland, including Eagle Acres Pumpkin Patch (Langley), Hazelmere Pumpkin Patch (Surrey), Port Kells Nurseries (Surrey), and Richmond Country Farms (Richmond).
Burnaby Village Museumâs Haunted Village: The Burnaby Village Museum is a small village that shows what the early 1900s were like in Vancouver, with period actors, tours, and a restored carousel. From October 28â30, the museum will be hosting their annual Haunted Village event, which will feature trick-or-treating, and a circus sideshow.
Stanley Park Ghost Train: Take a spooky tour through the Stanley Park forest on the parkâs miniature train. Full of spooky set-ups and exhibits, the train-rideâs 2015 theme is Horror Classics, featuring appearances from Dracula, Frankenstein, and other horror icons.
Mature audiences only/bring a change of pants adventures:
Fright Nights: Located on the PNE fairgrounds, this yearâs attractions include seven haunted houses, lit-up amusement park rides, gory physical comedians, and a fire performing troupe. Other features (perhaps the most terrifying of all) include long lines, drunk teenagers, and BCâs October weather.
Potterâs House of Horrors: Located in Surrey, Potterâs Farm & Nursery has been transformed into two full-size, deluxe haunted houses. With a different theme every year, this yearâs houses are named The Ripper of Whitechapel and Swamp Slaughterhouse. While the houses themselves are definitely not for the faint of heart, a good portion of the fun is enjoying the horror movies, refreshments, and 25-foot talking pumpkin king while waiting in line.
Haunted Trolley Tours: A two-and-a-half-hour tour of Vancouver featuring the scariest real-life locations of the city: a graveyard, multiple murder locations, and a tour of the autopsy room in the Vancouver Police Museum.
Fearmongers Haunted House: Only in its second Halloween season, Fearmongers is an intensive, hour-long go with 14 rooms and a Greek Mythology theme that features live animals, rodents, and reptiles. Strictly 19+, the attraction also features a lounge sponsored by Granville Island Brewing, where you can regain some of the body fluids scared out of you during the tour. As an added bonus, a portion of all ticket sales go directly to BC Childrenâs Hospital. For the true horror enthusiast, this is the attraction to seek.
Various Halloween Parties: For anyone too old to trick-or-treat and too young to die, Halloween is really about one thing: getting absolutely hammered and partying! Throughout October, practically every Vancouver club or bar will be holding some sort of âscaryâ promotion on the weekends (even if the real fright is paying $8 for a highball). For full details, check out any place downtown known for its booze-serving.
