As Halloween celebrations move beyond a single night of costume-clad kids ringing doorbells to fill plastic pumpkins full of candy, the variety of Halloween activities has also increased. Here are some of the traditional and not-so-traditional Halloween events available in Hancock County and the surrounding area.
Park shows “Hocus Pocus”
GREENFIELD — The Halloween-themed film “Hocus Pocus” will show at 8 p.m. Oct. 27 in Riley Park at the corner of Apple and Main Streets.
Admission is $5 for everyone 5 and older and $3 for children under 5. Popcorn, candy, soda, apple cider and hot chocolate will be on sale. Attendees are welcome to bring chairs and blankets to sit on.
Sponsored by the Greenfield-Central Junior High Fusionettes dance team, the event raises money for the group.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
Boos & Brews on tap in downtown Greenfield
GREENFIELD – The 21-and-over crowd is invited to celebrate Halloween with Boos & Brews from 4 to 10 p.m. Oct. 27 in downtown Greenfield.
Those planning to attend can purchase a $10 passport from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 13, 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 22, and 4 to 7 p.m. the day of the event at the Wooden Bear, 21 W. North St. The first 100 passport-holders can earn a pint glass and T-shirt by spending at least $5 at least three participating restaurants (getting a passport stamp at each) and returning to the Living Alley between North and Main Streets between 7 and 10 p.m.
Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes for a contest at the Living Alley at 9:30 p.m. Prizes will be awarded for the best male, female and best couple costumes. For more information, visit greenfieldmainstreet.org.
Dig up a date for Zombie Prom
FORTVILLE — Ten West Center for the Arts’ Zombie Prom returns from beyond the grave at 8:30 p.m. October 28 at the Ten West Center for the Arts, 10 W. Church St.
Attendees to this all-ages dance are invited to dress in their zombie best to compete in a costume contest and enjoy an evening of music and dancing. Mocktails and snacks will be served, and a king and queen of the Zombie Prom will be crowned before things wrap up at 11:30 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased for $10 a person or $15 a couple at tenwestcenter.org/zombie. Proceeds from this event go to benefit youth programs at Ten West Center for the Arts.
Pick your scare at Piney Acres
FORTVILLE — Piney Acres, 1115 E. 1000N, offers a number of haunted opportunities with the Haunted Loft, the Haunted Corn Maze and the Haunted Hayride.
Ticket prices range from $9 to $34 depending what kind of scares you’re looking for and whether you purchase tickets online or at the door.
All three Piney Acres haunts revolve around the fictional back story of Dr. E. Rex, who fled Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692, to avoid entanglement with the Salem witch trials. He settled in rural Hancock County and opened a medical practice. In the years following the spooky doctor’s arrival in Fortville, people and animals began disappearing from the countryside, and the townsfolk began to suspect bizarre experiments.
His secret lab was discovered in the Haunted Loft of the Piney Acres Farm, and he was eventually hanged for his crimes. The Haunted Corn Maze is the resting place of all the people and animals that disappeared during Dr. Rex’s reign of scientific terror.
Those brave enough to venture into the maze will likely stumble across the remainder of Dr. Rex’s experiments gone wrong which were accidentally set free when his secret lab was discovered.
The Haunted Hay Ride offers a breather from the more hair-raising attractions. Piney Acres visitors can enjoy the relative safety of a farm wagon as a guide narrates stories of Dr. Rex and his experiments. The hay ride lasts about 25 minutes and covers 50 acres of the farm. For more information, visit pineyacresfarm.com or indyhauntedloft.com.
Go Hall-O-Wheelin’ after dark
LINTON — Dirt bikes, all-terrain vehicles, four-wheel drives and other off-road vehicles are invited to attend the Hall-o-Wheelin’ night ride that begins at dawn Oct. 21 and goes through dusk Oct. 22 at Redbird State Recreation Area, about 90 miles southwest of Indianapolis at 15298 West County Road 350N in Linton. Participation in the night ride is $25 per vehicle and includes Hall-O-Wheelin’ activities such as a scavenger hunt, a trunk-or-treat, a raffle and a haunted trail open from 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call 812-847-0146.
Zipline to escape the undead
NASHVILLE — EXplore Brown County offers a mash-up of ziplining and zombies during the month of October. Adventurers who are looking for thrills beyond ziplining can dress the part as a superhero or a zombie during a ride into the woods on ziplines stretching to 1,200 feet. The Zip on Zombies v. Adventure Heroes tours run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day but Tuesday at eXplore Brown County, 2620 Valley Branch Road. EXplore Brown County offers other adventures, too, including off-roading, paintball, mountain biking and camping. Visit explorebrowncounty.com for a complete schedule of activities.
Wind your way through Conner Prairie’s new corn maze
FISHERS — One of the most haunting Halloween traditions is the appearance of the Headless Horseman during Conner Prairie hayrides Thursdays through Sundays in October. In addition to a “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” puppet show, karaoke, storytelling, face painting, fortune telling, haunted trail and magic show, Conner Prairie has added a seven-acre corn maze for 2017. The maze contains a short 30-minute course for younger children and a longer trek for adults and older children that takes about an hour to traverse. For more information about open hours and admission prices, visit connerprairie.org.
Wander through the Wicked Woods
INDIANAPOLIS — Put on your hiking boots to wander through a forest filled with creepy campfires, cabins, creatures and caves through Oct. 31 at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, 3000 N. Meridian St. The Children’s Museum Guild’s 54th annual Haunted House — boasted as the longest, continually running haunted house in the United States — offers 15 wicked rooms to explore during two unique experiences: Lights-On Hours are for those who scare easily, and Frightening Hours are for those who are brave enough to experience the dark woods. Haunted House tickets are $8 at the Children’s Museum box office or online at childrensmuseum.org/hauntedhouse. In addition to the haunted house, the Children’s Museum offers Halloween events throughout October. Visit the website for more information.
Meet Victorian Villains room by room at the Benjamin Harrison Home
INDIANAPOLIS – Lizzie Borden, Sweeney Todd and Jack the Ripper have all visited the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site home in “Victorian Villains,” a room-to-room performance from Candlelight Theatre, the troupe-in-residence at the historical home. Attendees will move through the rooms of the Harrison home for a series of mini-performances throughout the house. “Victorian Villains” shows weekends Oct. 13 through 22 with six performances each day. Tickets for the 75-minute show start at $14.95 for members and students and $17.95 for adults. Visit presidentbenjaminharrison.org to order tickets online or for more information.
Sweet treat options abound
Greenfield Healthcare Center, 200 W. Meadows Drive, offers Halloween fun, games and snacks from 4 to 6 p.m. Oct. 30. Call 317-462-3311 for more information. McCordsville’s annual Trunk-or-Treat starts at noon Oct. 28 and runs until 2 p.m. in the Town Hall parking lot, 6280 W. County Road 800N. For more information, email Tonya Galbraith at [email protected].
