Happy Halloween. We’ve put together a list of Halloween-themed events from our calendar section. Many are family friendly, but some are definitely meant for adults.
Children’s and family events
Port City Daily’s second annual Pumpkin Carving Contest
Port City Daily, along with its sister stations, 93.7 and 106.3 FM The Dude and 98.3 FM The Penguin, are once again celebrating Halloween by inviting you to share your carved or decorated pumpkins.
The best pumpkins in the 15 and under category will win a $50 gift certificate from our Save30 Store to Jungle Rapids. The best pumpkin in the over 15 category will win a $50 gift certificate to The Seasoned Gourmet.
Submit your pumpkin photos in four ways: via email to PCD@portcitydaily.com; tag us on Instagram and Twitter, using the hashtag #PCDpumpkins; or through our Facebook page. Send enough photos to show all of your pumpkin’s details. Include your name, age, and city/town of residence, which will be published with your photos.
Photos will be accepted until Sunday, Oct. 29, at midnight. The pumpkins will then be put to a readers’ vote on Monday, Oct. 30, starting at 9 a.m. Winners will be announced on Halloween.
Read more about the contest here.
NHHS Lyceum Academy Haunted House 2017
When: Remaining dates are Oct. 26, 27, 28, 29, and 31. Fridays and Saturdays open from 7 p.m. to 12 Midnight. Thursdays, Sunday and Oct. 31 open from 7 – 10 p.m.
Where: Sound Stage 13, Take 10-31, 921 Princess St, Wilmington
Tickets are $12
Trick-or-treat under the sea
When: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 26, 27 and 28, 4:30-8 p.m.
Where: N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher, 900 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach
Pirate skeletons, caped superheroes and fairy princesses once again will haunt the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher for three nights this October.
The annual children’s event offers a safe environment to enjoy Halloween fun, including games, magic shows, live animal encounters and spooky divers swimming among the sharks.
Tickets are valid only for night purchased. Due to increased popularity, tickets are only available in advance. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
Purchase tickets online here.
Carolina Beach Halloween Carnival
Parks and Rec. is looking for volunteers for this event. Contact them if interested.
Trick or Trot for Preservation: 5K
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 9-11 a.m.
Where: 302 Willard St., Wilmington (near the skate park and tennis courts)
The Trick or Trot for Preservation 5K and 1 Mile Candy Dash is for all ages. The 5K runs through historic Greenfield Lake Park and is followed by the Candy Dash – a 1 mile walk with Trick or Treat stops for kids big and small.
Registration for the 5K gets you into the Candy Dash for free. Or, register for the Candy Dash alone.
Prizes will be awarded for running fast and for wearing a great costume. There are 60 prizes in all. Free RISE doughnuts, Port City Java coffee and face painting will be available for registrants.
Ages 5 and under are free with a paid adult participant (one free per paid adult). The Trick or Trot for Preservation supports Historic Wilmington Foundation and the educational tour it provides for local 3rd grade children called Tar Heels Go Walking.
There are discounts for children and teams.
Halloween at the Cotton Exchange
Free trick-or-treating through the shops and restaurants of the Cotton Exchange. Pets welcome. The event is Saturday, Oct. 28, from 1-4 p.m.
Ride to the Ghost Barn
Take a horse-drawn ghost ride through downtown Wilmington. Ghost stories will be tailored to young children, with no gore or violence. The trolley ride will be followed by a fun spoof in the “Ghost Barn.”
When: Friday, Oct. 27 – Tuesday, Oct. 31, 6-9 p.m.
Where: Rides start at Market and Water streets
$12 for those 12 and older, $5 under 12. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
For information, call Springbrook Farms, 910-251-8889.
Events for adults
Macabaret: An evening of gallows humor, song & dance
When: Fridays and Saturdays, ending Oct. 28. Shows run until 10 p.m.
Where: TheatreNOW, 19 S. 10th St., Wilmington
If you are tired of the same old Halloween fare, join TheatreNOW for Macabaret – an irreverent evening of gallows humor, song, and dance.
This cabaret-style show will make you laugh ‘til it hurts with its outrageous look at the morbid and the macabre. Join your host, Phil Graves, and his cadaverous cohorts as they perform songs such as “Marriage is Murder,” “Grave Mistake,” and “Dead End Job,” that deal with love gone bad, obsessions, and strange things that go bump in the night.
Leave the kids at home carving pumpkins and come to Macabaret for some “fiendishly good entertainment” for the grown-ups.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students/seniors/military. Groups of ten or more are $12 each. Opening night also features a $10 special for all area actors.
Each performance offers a late night food menu and cash bar as well as a costume contest. Come dressed in your best Halloween outfit and win two tickets to an upcoming TheatreNOW show.
To purchase tickets, visit www.theatrewilmington.com or call 910-399-3669.
Wilmington Horror Story – Mansions of Madness
When: Thursday – Sunday, Oct. 26-29, 7 p.m. – midnight.
Where: Bellamy Mansion Museum, 503 Market St., Wilmington and The Burgwin-Wright House, 224 Market St., Wilmington.
Two of downtown Wilmington’s most famous historic sites transform into immersive haunted houses, featuring all manner of ghosts, ghouls and other assorted things that go bump in the night.
The “Wilmington Horror Story,” is brought to you by The Bellamy Mansion, The Burgwin-Wright House and Pineapple-Shaped Lamps. Tickets are $37.45 (including tax) and gives access to both haunted houses.
Tickets will be for sale at the Bellamy and Burgwin-Wright and will be available at both houses on the nights of the event. The event is not recommended for small children. Beer and wine will be available for sale.
Paranormal investigative ghost tour
When: Thursday, Oct. 26, and Friday, Oct. 27, tours on the hour, 6-9 p.m.
Where: Poplar Grove Plantation, 10200 US-17 North, Wilmington
There are lots of stories of Foy family household haints to share, including a murderous crime of passion. Discover who these phantoms are, and why they’re still at Poplar Grove. The venue will share a little history, provide a scroll of the dead, and permit visitors to focus on a particular room or rooms for any paranormal activity.
Groups are limited to 15; all tickets are $15. Cameras, and other paranormal equipment is allowed. Register online
Spirit Whisperers
When: Friday, Oct. 27 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Where: Expo 216, 216 N. Front St., Wilmington
Get into “All Hallows” mode. Visitors are encouraged to wear a costume, receive a message from “the other side,” and dance along to live music by David Dixon. Contemplate transcending into the cosmos via Niki Hildebrand’s 3D installation. Spirit punch and mystery morsels will be provided.
Victorian Mourning Night Tours
Victorian All Hallows’ Eve Wake
Have a Halloween themed event scheduled? Let us know at PCD@localvoicemedia.com. Submit events to our calendar here.
