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UPDATE: More October Fun for the Family; Check Out the Family Friendly Activities for Halloween and Beyond

by Madison V. Fisler

Oct. 28, 2013. Halloween is on its way, and the High Country knows how to celebrate this occasion in family-friendly style. Check out our list of events that will provide fun for the entire family in a safe environment. Grab the kids and your best costumes and head out for a Halloween to remember!

If you are hosting event that is not featured, please feel free to send us some information at madison@highcountrypress.com.

Halloween Celebrations

Trick-or-Treating at the Boone Mall: Head out to the Boone Mall from 5-7 p.m. on Halloween night for some indoor trick-or-treating! Dress up in your spookiest costume and go from store to store for safe, family friendly fun including trick-or-treating, a pumpkin house and Halloween photos!

Blowing Rock Halloween Festival: On Oct. 26, bring the little goblins to the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum for some “creepy crafts” –Halloween-themed, hands on activities for the family! This entire event is free and open to the community. The festival is located on Chestnut Drive and will continue from 2-3 p.m. Games & a Fun House in the Recreation Center for the Kids! 3:00p.m.-5:30p.m. The event also includes trick-or-treating in downtown Blowing Rock starting at 6 p.m. and so much more!

Haunted Trail at Honey Scare Campground: Every weekend visit the haunted trail at Honeybear (HoneyScare) Campground from 8-11 p.m. There will be a Halloween movie shown at 8 p.m. and a scary movie shown at 10 p.m. Visit every weekend in October for some good, Halloween fun!

Beech Mountain Halloween: Saturday, Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. come and enjoy some spectacular Halloween fun at Beech Mountain Town Hall and the Buckeye Recreation Center. Start at town hall for Trick-or-Treating at local businesses on the way to Buckeye Recreation Center. Once you arrive, enjoy games, food, costume contests, a haunted egg hunt, and even a bounce house!

Haunted Hayrides: Oct. 25-27 at 8 p.m., enjoy a haunted hayride or two with the Beech Mountain Parks and Recreation Department and the Lees-McRae Equestrian Club. Tickets are $5 in advance and $7 at the door, with proceeds going to community projects and the Equestrian Club. Saturday night early ride is family friendly, but later events may not be appropriate for kids. Tickets for this fun event can be purchased at the Buckeye Recreation Center. 

Halloween in Abingdon: With its beautiful natural surroundings, Abingdon is the ideal place to experience the beauty of fall. And the town’s long and fascinating history includes more than just a few ghost stories. Whether you’re looking for pumpkins or ghosts, a day trip with friends or a weekend of family fun, you’ll find it in Abingdon! Barter Theatre, the professional theatre located in Abingdon, is adding to the paranormal activity this fall with “The Ghost in the Meadow,” a present-day ghost story by Joe Simonelli. But if the spooks are too much for you, you can always catch one of the four other productions currently showing at Barter’s two unique theatres on Main Street. For even more paranormal fun, ask about the Haunting Tour package. For $35 per person, see “The Ghost in the Meadow” and take a walking tour of Haunted Abingdon led by the acclaimed storyteller, Donnamarie Emmert, the Haint Mistress herself. Available October 18-30; visit BarterTheatre.com for more info. Besides theatre, the Abingdon area boasts a number of other fall festivities. This includes a local pumpkin patch and the 4-acre Corn-Fusion corn maze just 20 minutes away from downtown Abingdon on Brumley Gap Road. Admission: $7 for Adults, $5 for Kids (free for kids 3 and under). Open October weekends. For info about hours, call 276-623-1326. 

Downtown Boone Boo: Calling all pirates, princesses and children of all ages! The Downtown Boone Development Association, the Watauga County Library and the Jones House Community Center are excited to host the 13th annuah Boone BOO! Halloween event on Thursday, Oct. 31 from 4-6 p.m. The fun begins at 4 p.m. at the Watauga County Library where families can participate in crafts and activities. At 4:30 p.m. the children will parade from the Library to the Jones House which will be decorated for children of all ages to enjoy. Children can then have fun trick or treating with the merchants in downtown until 6 p.m. We hope you can join us for an evening of Halloween fun in Downtown Boone. For more information, please call 828-262-4532.

Grandfather Mountain Halloween: On Saturday, Oct. 26, Grandfather Mountain visitors will be in for a scare as the park opens its doors to trick-or-treaters for a Beary Scary Halloween celebration. Families and children of all ages will be able to experience the beauty of fall at Grandfather Mountain while enjoying a full day of Halloween activities in addition to the regular programming.

Haunted Horn: Walk the haunted trail for thrills and chills that will keep you coming back for more. This haunted walk through the Daniel Boone Woods is sure to be fun for all. This year’s trail will run from 7:30-11 p.m. Oct. 23 to 26 and Oct. 29-31. Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for WHS students with valid student ID. 

Downtown Boone Story Walk: The Story Walk officially beings Oct. 22 and will run through Nov. 6. Read a book page by page in the windows of local merchants in Downtown Boone. What a great way for friends and family to join in on a beautiful walk through town while enjoying a story great for all ages. 

Ghost Train Festival at Tweetsie Railroad: It’s safe, scary fun for the whole family! Visit the Haunted House and the Freaky Forest. Step in to another world in the 3-D Maze and the Black Hole. Kids will enjoy the Halloween shows and trick-or-treating. And take a chilling journey on the Ghost Train – if you dare!

Circle C Haunted Hay Rides: Circle C Tree Farms is offering Haunted Hay Rides from Friday, Oct. 25 through Sunday, Oct. 27. The hay rides are completely free and open to the public for a great time!

Trick-or-Treat for Tots: Bring you little ghouls and goblins to the residence halls at Appalachian State University on Halloween for a fun and safe trick-or-treat from 5-7 p.m. The participating residence halls are Cannon, Hoey, East, Lovill, White, Doughton, Summit and Cone. Appalachian students will be present handing out candy to kids in costume of all ages. 

Fall Festival at Mount Vernon Baptist Church: Enjoy food, airwalks & games for all ages, hayrides and more! Fun Food & Friends..are just around the cornfield! Please, no scary costumes, as this is a family-friendly event. 

Trunk-or-Treats

  • Valle Crucis United Methodist Church will host their annual Trunk-or-Treat Festivities on Saturday, Oct. 26 from 5-7 p.m. Lots of treats and activities for kids and free hot dogs for the entire family. Located across from Valle Crucis Elementary School and Mast Store Annex.
  • Bring your boos and grab your ghouls for the Trunk-or-Treat at Bethany Lutheran Church at 1030 Big Hill Road on Friday, Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. Raid the trunks from 6-7 p.m. and join us for a chili cook-off fundraiser supper, yummy treats, a costume contest, games and face painting. All proceeds go to adopting local families at Christmas. Sponsored by Bethany Lutheran Youth Group and Thrivent. 
  • Banner Elk will host a trunk or treat at the Historic Banner Elk Elementary School on Thursday, Oct. 31 from 5-8 p.m. This celebration will also include face painting from 3-7:30 p.m. and is completely free and open to the public
  • Historical Banner Elk Elementary School will host a trunk or treat on Thursday, Oct. 31. The celebration includes a pet costume contest, children’s costume contest, face painting and more. All of the fun starts at 3 p.m. and it doesn’t stop until 8!

Corn Mazes 

  • New River Corn Maze: Continuing through Nov. 1 this corn maze is located on Laurel Gap Road. The maze also includes a pumpkin patch and train and tractor rides for all ages. The maze is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until dark and on Sundays from 1 p.m. until dark. This great maze is sure to be tons of fun for the whole family. 
  • Ashe County Corn Maze: Through Oct. 27, the Ashe County Corn Maze in Crumpler will delight Halloween visitors of all ages. The maze is open 5-9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 2 to 7 p.m. Tickets cost just $7 per person, so this is a great idea for an outing with the entire family

October Celebrations

Bark-tober at the Watauga Humane Society: The humane society has many different things to offer the community during the month of bark-tober. There is the cat and dog sale where cats are $25 and Dogs are $40, thanks to adoption boosters grants from the Newman and Spector Foundations. In addition, there is the SNIPS spay/neuter special.  While funding lasts, only $25 for spay/neuter, including the rabies immunization if needed. Luminaries are on sale now, for the Harvest Festival on Oct. 25. The shelter hopes to light up the path to the adoption center with candles of hope for shelter pets to find a home before the weather turns even colder. Luminaries are only $5 and can be a simple wish for a shelter pet or in honor or memory of a special pet or person in your life. Cards are on sale now at the adoption center, and will be available at other locations this week. The Harvest Festival takes place Oct. 25 with at outrageous costume contest, Top Chef style pumpkin carving contest, and more. 

Hayes School of Music Halloween Concert: The Hayes School of Music organ studio at Appalachian State University will present its seventh annual Halloween Monster Concert Thursday, Oct. 31, at 8 p.m. in the Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall. Admission is free and the public is invited. Costumes are encouraged. Featured during the evening will be Bach’s famous “Toccata and Fague in d minor” with special audience participation, the singing of “pumpkin carols,” a silent movie with organ accompaniment, free candy, costume contests and more.

Appalachian Student Ambassadors Canned Food Drive: According to the US Cencus, 21 percent of people in Watauga County are living in poverty, but there is a way you can help decrease this statistic. The Appalachian State University Student Ambassadors are hosting their annual canned food drive, themed “Throw Down Hunger.” The canned food drive is a university-wide initiative that helps relieve hunger and give back to the surrounding community. All cans donated go directly to the Watauga Hunger and Health Coalition, benefitting families in Watauga, Avery and Ashe counties. This year our goal is to raise 10,000 pounds of food. We will kick off the canned food drive at the Black Saturday game on Oct. 26 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. where ambassadors will collect your cans on your way into the stadium. On Sunday, Oct. 27, ambassadors will be collecting donations from 2 – 5 p.m. at Food Lion and Ingles. During the week of Oct. 28-Nov. 1, ambassadors will have donation tables outside of both campus markets. The donation tables in the Bookstore will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The donation tables at Trivette Dining Hall will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Saturday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 3, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. ambassadors will again be collecting donations at Food Lion and Ingles. As an incentive, the “Throw Down Hunger” canned food drive offers various raffle prizes for anyone who donates. The top prize provides a lucky ASU student with two tickets to the Chancellor’s Suite for a home football game.