The spookiest night of the year is just around the corner and scare-seekers looking for a frightening time neednt look far. The following are just a selection of the many Halloween happenings taking place in and around Vancouver. From a spine-chilling amusement park to a spooky ghost train, theres something to get everyone in the Halloween spirit. Click here to read the Halloween event listings published in the Oct. 11 issue of WE Vancouver.
Stanley Park Ghost Train
To October 31
Every Halloween, thousands of people flock to Stanley Park for a train ride deep into the forest and you wont want to miss this years theme of Scary Fairy Tales. With just the right mix of fear and fun, this must-do event is perfect for young families. Riders can also enjoy face painting, crafts, a haunted maze and other family-friendly activities (included with train admission). The Ghost Train runs until Oct. 31 (11am to 3pm, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday; 6 to 10pm, Sunday to Thursday; and 6 to 11pm, Friday and Saturday). Tickets are $9.82 for adults (youth ages 2 to 18, and seniors ages 65 and older, are $6.25). GhostTrain.ca
Little Shop of Horrors
To October 27
It the spirit of strange creatures, Fighting Chance Productions presents the cult classic about a down-and-out floral assistant who discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon Audrey II grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed carnivore. Theres music and dancing, too! Its at the Jericho Arts Centre Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8pm. Tickets are $30/$25. JerichoArtsCentre.com
Fright Nights at the PNE
To October 31
A favourite among locals, Vancouvers Playland becomes a haunted amusement park complete with haunted houses, including the new Fear House, a rickety wooden roller-coaster, spooky rides and roving bands of scarers. Fright Nights is open evenings, Oct. 17 to 31. Beware: this event is recommended for big kids only (ages 12 and older). PNE.ca/fright-nights
Vancouver Haunted Trolley Tours
To October 31
For ages 13 and up, Vancouver Trolley takes you on a two-and-a-half-hour tour around Vancouvers scary spots including the Mountain View Cemetery (home of Joe Fortes) and Vancouver Police Museums autopsy room. Wednesday to Sunday and Halloween. 5:30pm, 6:30pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm, *9:30pm (*available for Fridays, Saturdays and Halloween only). $35. VancouverTrolley.com
Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Tour
Tour Guys crew of local historians, pulp culture experts, and architecture gurus guide nocturnal sightseers on walking tours to discover sites of unsolved murders and sinister events. Tours kick off at Centennial Fountain in front of the Vancouver Gallery.Ninety-minute treks end in Gastown near the supposedly haunted Blood Alley.Best enjoyed by those ages 12 and up. Wednesdays and Saturdays at 8pm. $26. TourGuys.ca
Lost Souls of Gastown tour
To October 31
Venture deep into Victorian Gastown to experience our citys earliest and most gothic history. Your guide is Forbidden Vancouvers Chief Storyteller, Will Woods, who takes the persona of George Turle, one of Vancouvers earliest residents. Tours run Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights. Departs from Cathedral Square, Dunsmuir St., 6.30pm. $21.50 adult; $17.50 student/senior. Tickets must be purchased in advance. ForbiddenVancouver.ca
Dunbar Haunted House
To October 31
Not for young children, its a great spook for a great cause. Admission goes to BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund, Vancouver Police Union Charitable Foundation and BC Childhood Cancer Parents Association. Live actors come out after 7pm. 8934 Shaughnessy. $10. DunbarHauntedHouse.com
Dream Horror House on Commercial
To October 30
The Dream Horror House in Vancouvers Commercial Drive neighbourhood has expanded significantly from its humble beginnings in 2002. This year the haunted house will feature expanded nights and more special effects to scare the pants off you. Nightly from 6 to 11pm at 3532 Commercial Drive. Supporting East Vancouver Youth Soccer and Irish Dance.
Secret Souls Walk
October 27
Don your scariest costume and delve into the pagan origins of Halloween at the Parade of Lost Souls Secret Souls Walk. The audience makes up the parade and everyone is invited to participate in the ghoulish fun as the procession weaves past the homes, streets and alleys of Commercial Drive. The journey ends as spirits awake to a grand finale featuring torch choreography and fireworks. The Secret Souls Walk takes place from 5 to 9pm. PublicDreams.org
Halloween Costume Ball
October 27
Now in its sixth year, the Halloween Costume Ball at Telus World of Science has become a legendary event in Vancouver, and the spookiest place to party.This years party will feature two rooms of music on two floors, a hell-raising sound and lighting system, eight DJs and performers, five fully licensed bars, and a 1,100 person capacity. 9pm to 2am. Tickets available online at ClubZone.com/Twisted.
Dooms Night at Pacific Coliseum
October 27 at 10pm til October 28 at 8am
This will be the first-ever 3D Halloween party at Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. Join more than 4,500 costumed partygoers who will bask in horror as the clock strikes 12 and the dead will emerge from their graves in full 3D. $100 general admission.
The House of Forsaken Gods
October 27, 28, 30 and 31
Experience the torrid and terrifying lives of the gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines, monsters and demons of Greek mythology during a one-hour performance journey through a haunted house. Tours begin at 6:30pm and start every half hour. Tickets are $35 for adults and $30 for students and must be purchased in advance. Ticket gets you a discount for the after-party on Halloween night. InTheHouseFestival.com
Halloween in Space
October 28
Free admission for kids in costume at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre from noon to 5pm. (Maximum two kids free per paid adult.) A bonus feature is the screening of Tim Burtons The Nightmare Before Christmas at 2pm in the auditorium. SpaceCentre.ca
The Chinese Garden Murders
To October 31
The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden has been transformed into a spooky haunted house with over 30 actors, dancers and musicians to create a roving murder mystery haunted house experience. The show is inspired by Robert Van Guliks classic Judge Dee Chinese detective novels: In addition to being duly freaked, by picking up on clues along the way, the audience can help Judge Dee solve the crime in the end. Open 7 to 10pm, tickets $12.
Cabaret nights at the Vogue
October 25 and 26
Cabaret diva-comedienne and performance artist Astrid Hadad makes her long-awaited return to Vancouver for two nights at the Vogue Theatre to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, in her own extraordinarily creative way accompanied by her band, Los Tarzanes. Oct. 25 and 26 at 8pm. Tickets: $45/$37 (plus charges) at VogueTheatre.com or 604-569-1144.
Horror film screening
October 31
The Rio Theatre is hosting a screening of the eighth annual Bloodshots Canada 48-Hour Horror Filmmaking Challenge. Doors at 6:30pm, show at 7:30pm, after party to follow. Tickets are $8 at the door or in advance at CelluloidSocialClub.com. No minors. Cash bar. Hosted by Jacques Lalonde.There will be a prize for the best Halloween costume. 2012.BloodShotsCanada.com.
Out of town...
Haunted Burnaby Village Museum
October 26 to 28
Gravediggers and trolls and witches, oh my! Tis the season for ghoulish residents to take over the Burnaby Village Museum. Visitors can wander the village (circa 1925), trick-or-treat at quaint shops and enjoy unlimited carousel rides. Admission is $14 for adults, youth and seniors; $9 for children (ages 2 to 12). Open from 6 to 9pm. BurnabyVillageMuseum.ca.
