Two More Nights of Spooks & Scares

Posted in Programs and Events on October 23 2013, by Matt Newman

With Halloween looming at the end of this month’s calendar (and on a Thursday of all days—what gives?), we’re not about to pass up any opportunities to celebrate the tricks and treats that come once each fall. So this weekend, on both Friday and Saturday nights, we’re doing the holiday of ghouls, ghosts, and goblins proud with the final two evenings of Spooky Nighttime Adventures. It might be the last chance for your kids to scare up the night without having to worry about rolling out of bed for school the next day!

Seeing as we seldom open the gates after dark for a night of creeping about under the trees, we encourage kids of all ages to break out their costumes and dress for the occasion. They’ll start the Haunted Pumpkin Garden festivities by picking up a treat bag to decorate near our Reflecting Pool while Lucrecia Novoa’s fantastical costumed entertainers keep things lively around the Visitor Center. Afterwards, head out onto the Trick-or-Treat Trail for some well-earned edible rewards, or take part in any number of creepy crawly activities in the Discovery Center and elsewhere: digging for decomposers, dissecting owl pellets, calling for the creatures of the night, decorating gourds to take home, and other hands-on fun.

Spooky Nighttime Adventures offer timed entrances at 6:30 and 7 p.m. on Friday, October 25, and Saturday, October 26, with special, early entrance tickets and treats for MasterCard holders. Because these events have been selling out, and these are your last two opportunities for this year’s Halloween festivities, it’s better to reserve your tickets sooner rather than later. And because it’s also the last weekend that we’ll be displaying our monstrous carnivorous pumpkin plant, courtesy of Ray Villafane’s carving efforts from last weekend, there’s no excuse to miss out! So tell the kids to bring their scares and be ready for some exploration.