Local Halloween and Harvest Events Abound

Compiled by Corinne Saunders

Whether you want to explore a haunted house, walk a spooky corn maze, listen to live music or just carve a pumpkin, Halloween and harvest events in and around the High Country are plentiful. The following events and celebrations are sorted by those that are appropriate for both children and adults and those suggested only for adults.

Events for Kids and Adults
Ghost Train at Tweetsie Friday, Saturday and October 30-31
The Ghost Train at Tweetsie Railroad will make the rounds for its 20th season of “spooktacular” fun in the High Country every Friday and Saturday night through Saturday, October 31. The Freaky Forest debuts this year, and scores of other thrilling attractions await. The gates open at 7:30 p.m. and advance tickets are required. Tickets are $26 for adults and children, and children ages 2 and under are free. For more information or to purchase tickets, click to www.tweetsie.com.

An Appalachian Harvest Barn Dance Saturday
The National Park Service invites locals to attend the free annual Halloween/Harvest Barn Dance on Saturday, October 24, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Attendees should meet at the Bass Lake parking area off Highway 221 for a two-mile roundtrip walk to the historic Moses Cone Apple Barn. Enjoy a cup of hot apple cider and learn some old-timey folk dancing such as the Virginia Reel and square dance to the tune of live fiddle music with live callers. A craft table for children will be set up, where they can make a cornhusk doll or Halloween mask. For more information, call 828-295-6308.

Pre-Halloween Party at KIDsSPACE Saturday
KIDsSPACE will host its first pre-Halloween party this Saturday, October 24, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. This event will feature games, a costume contest, treats and plenty of fun. Admission is free, but attendees are asked to bring some healthy canned goods for donation to the Hospitality House. Ghost stories will be told at 7:00 p.m. KIDsSPACE is located at 178 Southgate Drive in Boone, near Walmart, between Coyote Kitchen and Smokes & More. For more information, call 828-719-9000.

Haunted House at Trade Community Center Saturday, Sunday and October 27-30
The Trade VFD and Trade Days Committee are co-hosting a Haunted House at the Trade Community Center from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, October 24 and 25, and Monday to Friday, October 27 to 30. Admission is $5 per person for a spooky good time, and all proceeds benefit the Trade VFD and Trade Community Center.

Downtown Boo!! October 31
Ghosts, ghouls and goblins hit the streets of Downtown Boone for the 9th annual Downtown Boo!!, which takes place on Saturday, October 31. The fun begins at 2:00 p.m. at the Watauga County Library, featuring scary stories, songs and activities for kids. A parade to the Jones House begins at 3:00 p.m. and trick or treating with the merchants in downtown Boone will take place until 5:00 p.m. Participating businesses will be designated with balloons and streamers, and maps will be provided so that no candy or treats go uncollected. For more information, call 828-262-4532.

Haunted Maze in Mountain City Saturday and October 31
The Haunted Maze, a corn maze on the Shull family farm, begins at 8:00 p.m. every Saturday in October. Admission is $8 for ages 12 and up, $6 for ages 3 to 11 and free for ages 2 and under. Call 423-291-1117 or 423-291-1135 for group rates.

Shull’s Farm is located at 4249 Roan Creek Road in Mountain City, Tenn., approximately four miles south of the intersection of highways 421 and 167. For more information, click to www.shulls-farm.com.

Halloween Monster Concert at ASU October 31
The ASU organ studio and the Boone Chapter of the American Guild of Organists present the 3rd annual Halloween Monster Concert on Saturday, October 31, at 8:00 p.m. in Broyhill Music Center’s Rosen Concert Hall on the ASU campus. Admission is free, the public is invited to attend and costumes are encouraged. Bach’s famous “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor” will be featured with special audience participation, and activities include the signing of “Pumpkin Carols,” “Name That (Scary) Tune” quiz, free candy and more. For more information, call 828-262-6467 or email Joby Bell at belljr@appstate.edu.

Halloween Festival at Historic Cove Creek School October 31
A Halloween Festival will take place from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, at the Historic Cove Creek School gym. All ages are invited to attend, and activities will include a costume contest, games, food, a cakewalk and more. A Haunted House for ages 10 and up will take place from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., and all events are fundraisers for the nonprofit Sugar Grove Developmental Day School. To volunteer to help, call Tawnya at 828-297-4226.

Blowing Rock Halloween Festival October 31
The Blowing Rock Halloween Festival will take place Saturday, October 31, in downtown Blowing Rock, from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m. Plan for an afternoon of nonstop fun with hayrides, airwalks, games, a scavenger hunt and the Monster March Costume Parade. Prizes awarded for best costumes and scavenger hunt winners. Admission is free, and don’t forget to bring a flashlight. For more information, call 828-295-5222.

Trunk or Treat in Banner Elk October 31
Avery County goblins and ghouls, along with their parents and friends, are invited to gather at Tate-Evans Park in Banner Elk for the 5th annual Halloween Trunk or Treat, which takes place on Saturday, October 31, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. This year’s event, sponsored by the Avery County Arts Council and Kiwanis International, features a “bigger and better” Haunted House and loads of candy for trick-or-treaters. Admission is free, and discounted hot dogs and roasted corn will be available for purchase at the event. For more information, call 828-898-8395.

Events for Adults
Haunted Horn Thursday to Saturday and October 28 to 31
Walk the spooky trails at Horn in the West in Boone beginning at dark on any of the seven days it is open to the public. Haunted Horn takes place from Thursday to Saturday, October 22 to 24, and from Wednesday to Saturday, October 28 to 31. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for students with an ID.

More than 25 ASU students and dozens of homemade props combine for a Halloween jaunt like no other. Four tour guides will lead brave attendees through the spooky thicket surrounding Horn in the West, where they will meet many tormented characters, such as Mike Myers, Dracula and Van Helsing, and see an electric chair, jail, swinging bridge, car crash and Dracula’s lair, among other scary sights. Although the spooks will feel real, organizers stress that the players in the spook-fest are armed with walkie-talkies and two surveillance cameras spy on all the action—all in the name of safety. At the conclusion of the trail, attendees will witness one more ghostly sight—a zombie-style reenactment of the Battle of Stoneman’s Raid, care of Brad Harmon and his team of reenactors. 

Haunted Horn is not recommended for children under 9, but if you bring them, their admission is $5. For more information, call 828-264-2120.

Zombie March in Downtown Boone October 30
On Friday, October 30, the dead will rise in Boone. Participants in the Zombie March are encouraged to dress either as zombies or as survivors, and will meet at 8:00 p.m. in Sanford Mall on the ASU campus, next to the Old Belk Library. The march will go to Beanstalk Coffee House, where the owner will offer discounted coffee and drinks to those in costume, and then continues down King Street and around campus. Event organizers encourage themed zombie costumes—beach party, vegetarian, mountaineer or cheerleader zombie—but normal zombie attire is also fine. For more information, click to http://zmob.us.

Costume Contest at Town Tavern October 31
The recently opened Town Tavern, located at 208 Faculty Street, Suite A in Boone, will host a costume contest on Saturday, October 31, from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The cash prizes will be $250 for first place and $100 for second place. For more information, call 828-264-2226.

DJ and Costume Contest at Crave October 31
Crave will feature all day drink specials on Halloween, and beginning at 9:00 p.m., a DJ will perform and a costume contest will take place. Cash prizes will be awarded to the winners, and no cover will be charged. For more information, call 828-355-9717.

Masquerade Halloween Dance at Broyhill October 31
High Country Pride, a local nonprofit, will present the inaugural Masquerade Halloween Dance for ages 21 and up on Saturday, October 31, from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at the Broyhill Inn and Conference Center in Boone. Admission is $10 and supports High Country Pride and ALPHA, another nonprofit.

The event features music from all eras, special lighting and a cash bar, as well as a dinner buffet for an additional fee. Costumes are strongly encouraged. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, click to www.HighCountryPride.org.

Mike Alvarado Band at Dragonfly October 31
ASU music industry major Mike Alvarado, who won the Music Entertainment Industry Student Association (MEISA) songwriting competition at ASU in 2007, will perform original pop tunes along with his band at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, at Dragonfly Theatre and Pub. The cost is $5. For more information, click to www.myspace.com/michaelaalvaradomusic.

Tidal Performs, Costume Contest at Twigs October 31
Classic rock band Tidal will perform at Twigs in Blowing Rock on Halloween from 9:45 p.m. to 1:45 a.m., and a costume contest will be held at midnight. Prizes will be gift certificates to the restaurant—$100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place. Twigs does not charge a cover. For more information, call 828-295-5050.

Live Music and Costume Party at Pepper’s October 31
Pepper’s Restaurant in Boone will feature live music and a costume party on Saturday, October 31. There will be no cover for this event. For more information, call 828-262-1250.

Blount Harvey and Boone All Stars at Murphy’s October 31
Halloween at Murphy’s Restaurant & Pub, located at 747 West King Street in Boone, will feature Blount Harvey, a band from Greensboro, opening the night, with a performance by Boone All Stars to follow. The cover is $5. For more information, call 828-264-5117.

Ghoulish Gala at The Inn at Crestwood October 31
The Inn at Crestwood will host its inaugural Ghoulish Gala on Saturday, October 31, from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at the Inn at Crestwood in Boone. Gala activities and offers include a DJ dance party, costume contest, beverage specials, special lodging packages and more. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door and include one drink ticket. For more information, click to www.crestwoodnc.com or call 828-963-6646.

Bafoodus at Boone Saloon October 31
Bafoodus will play Boone Saloon on Saturday, October 31, at 10:00 p.m., and the 3rd annual Halloween Costume Party will take place simultaneously. The cover is $8. According to the group’s website, they play “electric jazz funk compositions and atypical covers not for the faint of heart.” For more information, click to www.myspace.com/bafoodus.

Peace Jones at Canyons October 31
Asheville-based group Peace Jones will perform at Canyons in Blowing Rock on Saturday, October 31, at 10:00 p.m. There is no cover for the event. The innovative group plays a variety of music genres and features flute, guitar, keys and percussion. For more information, click to www.myspace.com/peacejonesband.

DJ and Costume Contest at Char October 31
DJ Epicenter will provide the music at Char on Halloween, and a costume contest will take place, with the winner receiving $300. Char, located in downtown Boone, will have drink specials and the cover will be $2 for guys and free for gals. Festivities begin at 10:00 p.m. For more information, call 828-266-2179.

4th Annual Valle Crucis Punkin Festival Saturday

The 4th annual Valle Crucis Punkin Festival is a kid-friendly event with games for kids of all ages that will take place at the Mast General Store Annex in Valle Crucis this Saturday, October 24, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is free.

Along with old-fashioned games like sack races and apple bobbing, the festival features live music, crafts and food.

A section of the festival grounds will be set aside for “less mess” pumpkin carving, which is available by cost of a donation. The pumpkin carving is a fundraiser for the Western Youth Network (WYN), a nonprofit that provides after school programs and mentoring to middle school aged area youth. At the festival, all you have to do is cut your design into a pumpkin; the pumpkins are already “gutted.”

For more information, call 828-963-6511.

For more information about the Western Youth Network, call 828-264-5174 or click to www.westernyouthnetwork.org.

LOCAL WEATHER FORECAST

LATEST COMMENTS FROM OUR READERS

TOP NEWS ACROSS THE NATION

HIGH COUNTRY MAGAZINE