20 things to do for Halloween in Charlotte

Eat an apple cider doughnut sundae and pick the perfect jack o’lantern pumpkin at Hall Family Farm.

2019 season: Sept. 27 – Nov. 3

Details: They’ve got musical hayrides, a five-acre corn maze and a pick-your-own pumpkin patch.There’s also a children’s play area with rubber ducky races, a kid’s corn maze, firetruck and fun slide. And you’ll find farm animals (goat and pig) to feed and seasonal treats like apple cider slushies.

Must try: Apple cider doughnut sundae — a warm apple cider doughnut topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and caramel sauce. Pair it with an apple cider slushie for the peak fall experience.

Final season: Hall Family Farm sold for $21 million, property to become Novant hospital

Hall Family Farm | 10713 Providence Road West

Ride haunted rollercoasters at SCarowinds.

Date: Select days Sept. 13 – Oct. 27

Details: Carowinds transforms from “theme park” to “scream park” for its annual SCarowinds Halloween attraction. The event features 500+ monsters, ghosts and goblins roaming the grounds plus haunted attractions and shows.

Fright-Free: Not feeling it? Buy a “No Boo” necklace for $12 and the monsters won’t approach you. And check out The Great Pumpkin Fest for kid-friendly fall entertainment.

SCarowinds | 300 Carowinds Boulevard | Buy tickets $32+

Catch classic scary movies at the Ayrsley Retro Horror Series.

Lineup: The six-week series features two retro horror films each week with showings at 7 and 9 p.m. Oct. 18-24 – Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (7 p.m.) and Halloween 3 (9 p.m.); Oct. 25-31 – The Return of the Living Dead (7 p.m.) and Day of the Dead (9 p.m.)

Price: $5/film

Ayrsley Grand Cinemas 14 | 9110 Kings Parad Boulevard | $5/film

Face your fears on the haunted trail at Scarrigan Farms.

Dates: Thursday-Sunday through Nov. 1

Price: $25, cash/check only

What to expect: The mile-long walking trail through natural wooded areas is filled with creepy actors who “work to terrify you, totally and completely.” It is not a kid-friendly attraction. Yikes.

The Quarry: While the farm’s beloved swimming hole isn’t open in the fall season, you’ll be able to hang out around fire pits in The Quarry while you wait for your entrance time.

Scarrigan Farms | 1213 Oak Ride Parkway, Mooresville | $25, cash/check only

Pose in front of the Great Elizabeth Pumpkin Wall.

Date: This year’s event hasn’t been announced yet but it’s usually a few days before Halloween.

Details: Each year, Elizabeth neighbors construct a giant 60-foot-long wall lined end to end and top to bottom with jack o’lanterns. You can join in the community carving event or just stop by to see it lit up. Learn more about the tradition here.

Explore Terrors of the Past at Charlotte Museum of History.

Date: Oct. 25, 6-10 p.m.

Price: $30-$45

Details: In this immersive theatrical attraction, participants will journey into the darkness of the woods to solve the mysterious death of Polly Alexander.

Charlotte Museum of History | 3500 Shamrock Drive | Tickets

Enter Rosemont Manor if you dare

Date: Oct. 31, 6:30-10:30 p.m.

Location: 2100 block of East 5th Street between Osborne and Ridgeway

Details: Two Elizabeth residents spend two months creating a one-night-only haunt that attracts more than 1,000 visitors. Now in its seventh year, Rosemont Manor features animatronics, live performers and (debuting this year) a psychedelic room that requires 3D glasses.

Charity: The exhibit is free but donations to Charlotte SPCA are encouraged.

Rosemont Manor Haunt | Elizabeth Neighborhood | Free

Trick-or-treat at NASCAR Hall of Fame

Date: Oct. 26, 6-8 p.m. (trick-or-treating is 6:15-7:15)

Price: $15/person

Details: The Not-Too-Spooky Haunted Hall will feature a Monster Mash Dance Party, Ghoulish Game Zone, Fang-tastic Crafts, meet and greets with costumed characters and candy stations on the upper levels.

Not-Too-Spooky Haunted Hall | NASCAR Hall of Fame, 400 East MLK Jr. Blvd | Tickets

Stamp your passport at eight neighborhood venues at the OMB & LoSo Halloween Celebration

Date: Oct. 26, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

OMB party details: They’ll have live music all day, Halloween inspired food specials and a costume contest for Best Overall Men’s Costume, Best Overall Women’s Costume, Most Original Costume (or Best Homemade Costume) and Funniest Costume.

Neighborhood passport: Get stamped at all eight locations for a chance to win a grand prize. Participating venues are OMB, Broken Spoke, Lower Left Brewing, Sugar Creek Brewing, Queen Park Social, Brewers at 4001 Yancey, Good Road Ciderworks and Red Clay Ciderworks.

OMB & LoS Halloween Celebration | OMB, 4150 Yancey Road + surrounding venues | Free to attend

Drink your way through 20+ bars at Rich & Bennett’s 19th Annual Halloween Bar Crawl.

Date: Oct. 26, 1-10 p.m.

Details: The 19th annual event is the largest Halloween bar crawl in the Southeast.

Participating bars: The Daily, Hooters, The Local, Tequila House, Suite, Connolly’s, Sip, Roxbury, RiRa, The Imperial, Howl at the Moon, Fitzgerald’s, Lucky’s, Prohibition, Whisky River, Tilt, Rooftop 210, Vault, Blackfinn, Tin Roof, Topgolf Swing Suites

Rich & Bennett’s Halloween Bar Crawl | Uptown | Tickets $15 – $25

Sip fall beers and ciders at Hoppin’s 2nd annual Boos & Brews

Date: Oct. 31, 3 p.m. to midnight

Details: They’ll have a costume contest, live DJ and a full lineup of pumpkin brews, ciders, Octoberfests and fall beers on the self-serve taps.

Boos & Brews | Hoppin, 1402 Winnifred St | Free

Party at Diplo’s combo concert + costume contest at KISS 95.1’s 20th Annual Grave Digger’s Ball

Date: Oct. 26, 6-11:30 p.m.

Price: $20 general admission, $40-$60 VIP front stage pit

Details: Diplo headlines Uptown’s biggest costume contest with $10,000 in prizes up for grabs.

Grave Digger’s Ball | 300 North Brevard Street | Tickets $20-$60

Enjoy campfire s’mores at Bootanical at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Date: Oct. 26, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Details: The fright-free, kid-friendly event features live music in the beer garden, fall activities, games, campfire s’mores and a costume parade.

General admission: Bootanical is free for members, kids in costume and with general admission. GA – $14.95 adults, $12.95 seniors 60+, $7.95 kids 2-12

The garden: General admission will give you access not only to Bootanical but also to 110 acres of manicured gardens, fountains, walking trails and the tropical plant and orchid conservatory.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden | 6500 South New Hope Road, Belmont 

Bar hop at the Plaza Midwood Halloween Brewery Crawl

Date: Oct. 31, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

Participating breweries: Pilot Brewing, Legion Brewing and Resident Culture

Entertainment: Pilot will have Harry Potter trivia 7:30-9:30 p.m. and $3 beer specials. Legion hosts music bingo at 7:30 p.m. And Resident Culture will have a costume contest from 8-9 p.m. along with a fun-sized stout aged on mini candy bars and a Sour Patch kettle sour.

Transportation: Jaunt vehicles will be stationed at each location to help you travel safely between breweries.

Plaza Midwood Brewery Crawl | Multiple locations | Free

Watch Halloween classic “Hocus Pocus” at the Metropolitan’s Moonlight Movies

Date: Oct. 26, 5:30-9 p.m. (movie starts at 7 p.m.)

Details: Pre-movie entertainment includes face painting, caricatures, pumpking decorating and a meet and greet with the Sanderson Sisters (5:30-6:30 p.m.).

Pumpkin decorating: The first 50 attendees will receive a free pumpkin to decorate courtesy of Charlotte Art League. If you can’t get there early, you can also BYO pumpkin to decorate.

Food: They’ll have free popcorn and candy along with sandwiches, snacks and drinks to purchase from Dressler’s.

Moonlight Movies – Hocus Pocus | 1111 Metropolitan Avenue (on the green next to Vivace)

Relive “The Nightmare Before Christmas” with a live score by Charlotte Symphony

Date: Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m.

Price: $19+

Details: The Tim Burton original will be shown in its entirety on a big screen while Charlotte Symphony plays the score live from the pit.

Charlotte Symphony’s Nightmare Before Christmas | Belk Theater, 130 N Tryon Street | Tickets

Try your hand at haunted bowling at the Haunted Pinhouse Party

Date: Oct. 26, 7-11:30 p.m.

Details: They’ll have a costume contest, live music, haunted bowling and food from Twisted Eats plus the debut of the new Fall Wall featuring a wall of self-serve taps dedicated to fall beers, ciders and wines.

Haunted Pinhouse Party | Pinhouse, 2306 Central Avenue | Free

Crack the case at Buff Faye’s Murder Myster Drag Diner at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill

Date: Oct. 26, 8-10 p.m.

Price: $30

Details: Your ticket includes an all-you-can-eat buffet and interactive murder mystery show from National Entertainer of the Year Buff Faye.

Buff Faye’s Drag Diner | Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, 911 East Morehead Street | Tickets

Party with puppies at Brewers at 4001 Yancey’s Howloween dog costume contest

Date: Oct. 26, 3-5 p.m.

Details: Join the Humane Society for the brewery’s inaugural dog costume contest featuring three categories — funniest costume, most creative costume and best costume overall.

Howloween | Brewers at 4001 Yancey | Free

Celebrate Día de los Muertos with Latin American Coalition

Date: Nov. 3, noon to 6 p.m.

Details: The intimate recreation of the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration features traditional foods, folkloric arts and crafts, an altar competition, traditional dances, kids activities and more.

Day of the Dead Celebration | Levine Museum of the New South | Free