Photo by Louis Beckett
From ghost walks to haunted houses to corn mazes, we’ve rounded up more than a dozen events happening in October that are designed to either get your blood curdling or just generally celebrate the Halloween season.
“House Divided” Cemetery Walking Tours. Sundays, Oct. 1-29. Staff of the Mary Todd Lincoln House will offer guided tours of Lexington’s most famous cemetery on Sundays in October. The tour features graves of both soldiers and civilians, including the Todd family, with an emphasis on Lexington’s divided home front during the Civil War. The tour lasts approximately 90 minutes, and meets at 2:30 p.m. at the Henry Clay Monument, Lexington Cemetery, 833 W. Main St. (859) 233-9999, www.mtlhouse.org.
Ghost Walk of Lexington. Friday and Sunday nights. Participants are encouraged to bring their cameras, recorders or any other devices they may want to use on this ghost walk around Gratz Park led by certified ghost hunter Patti Starr. From murder and curses to other gruesome tales, this tour will entertain with intriguing Lexington history. 8-9:30 p.m., with ticket sales starting at 7:30. The Carnegie Center, 251 West Second St. www.kyghostwalks.com/ghost-walk-of-lexington
Botanica. Through Oct. 31 (Tues. - Sun.). Activities at Botanica include a petting barn, vertical tire wall, pumpkin picking and decorating, shopping for decorations and fall items in the Garden Shop, exploring the corn maze and more. Admission to the farm is free but activities and pumpkin picking have a small fee. Tues.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 1-6 p.m.; Closed Mon. 6327 Old Richmond Road. http://www.botanicaky.com/Pumpkin-Patch-Lexington-KY.html
Devine’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch. Through Oct. 28 (Fri.-Sun.). Fall 2017 marks 10 seasons that Devine’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch has been bringing family fun to visitors from all over Kentucky. In addition to the corn maze, guests can enjoy pumpkin picking, critter petting, hay rides, duck races, nightly bonfires and more. Stop by during Halloween weekend (Oct.27-28) to experience Field of Horror. Your nightmares will come alive while rustling through corn in the dark and encountering Children of the Corn, Freddy, Saw, and many more. Fri., 6-10 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 1-5 p.m. 623 Talmage-Mayo Road, Harrodsburg, KY http://www.devinescornmaze.com/
Wicked World Scaregrounds. Sept. 22-Oct. 31 (Thurs.-Tues.). Celebrating 10 years of fear, Wicked World Scaregrounds features three different attractions. “Nightmare Haunted House” takes guests inside of Mercy Hospital; “Terror on Tates Creek” presents a show by a deceased Ivan Darkwood; and “Quarantine” explores Fort Greenwall, an old abandoned military compound hidden in the forests of Kentucky. Thurs. and Sun.-Tues., 7:30-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.-midnight. 5817 Tates Creek Road, Nicholasville, Kentucky. www.wickedworldscaregrounds.com
Fright Nights at Jacobson Park. Sept. 29-Oct. 31 (Fri.-Sun.). Fright Nights at Jacobson Park offers three haunted attractions spread over 40 acres to provide the scare of a lifetime. This year’s main attractions include “Entrapment,” “13 Doors” and “Dark Forest.” An entertainment area called Kill Zone features live music, special shows and food vendors. Fri. and Sat., 7:30 p.m.-midnight; Sun., 7:30-10 p.m. Jacobson Park, 4001 Athens-Boonesboro Road. www.frightnightsky.com
The Cemetery Crawl: History and Mystery of the Kentucky Horse Park. Oct. 9-13, 16-20, 28-29. This month, the Kentucky Horse Park’s International Museum of the Horse will host a limited cemetery tour, taking visitors around the grounds by hayride to share dueling, ghost hunting and fascinating stories of the park’s historic grounds. Space is limited and reservations are required; call (859) 259-4213. Tours are recommended for ages 12 and up. 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. Kentucky Horse Park, 4089 Iron Works Way. www.kyhhorsepark.com
Who Goes There? Art Show Opening. Oct. 13. “Who Goes There?” is a group art show celebrating the monstrous, mysterious, and macabre. The exhibit features over 30 local and regional artists, with a focus on the spirit of the Halloween season and all things creepy, spooky and fun. Each artist was asked for their own unique take on the theme. The opening reception will feature a variety of food and a festive, Halloween-themed atmosphere. Participating artists include: Jenni Phillips, David Kring, Stephen Wiggins, Lennon Michalski, Becky Atkinson Alley, Nick Alley, Stephen Minter, Matt Minter, J.t. Dockery, Brian Turner, Sara Turner, Stacey Earley, Staci McKnight Maney, Sarah Jane Sanders, Ed Franklin, David Wischer, Sarah Hart Landolt, Anthony Tank Mansfield, Mark Rudolph, Bruno Guerreiro, Jerielle Hanlon, Steve Heartsill, Debra Klopp Kersey, Corey Fields, Tressa Bowling, Brittney Cat, Derrick Riley, Jack X Taylor, Justin Stewart and Todd Herzberg. 6-9 p.m., Bread Box Art Studio, 501 W. Sixth St.
Little Goblins Galore. Oct. 14. Designed with the little ones in mind, this event features minimal scare factor, with an enchanted character trail, festival decorations, a happy haunted house, a petting zoo and special entertainment for children ages 12 and under, who are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. 1-5 p.m. McConnell Springs, 416 Rebmann Lane. www.lexingtonky.gov/little-goblins-galore
Party for the Pumpkins. Oct. 14. This family friendly event features live music, seasonal food, a straw maze, children’s activities, a petting zoo, and more. 2-6 p.m. University of Kentucky Arboretum, 500 Alumni Drive. http://arboretum.ca.uky.edu/ (859) 257-6955. EDITOR'S NOTE: In our print publications, this event was errantly listed as taking place on Oct. 17, and we also mistakenly listed incorrect details about a pumpkin contest. Oct. 14 is the correct date and these are the correct details. We regret our error.
Victorian Mourning Customs at Waveland Tour. Oct. 18-19. This tour will explore the private and social aspects of mourning during the Victorian era in America. From dressing properly while grieving to etiquette of funerals and death announcements, the Victorians understood that death was an everyday part of life and had many rules of mourning they were expected to follow. Tours take place at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. Waveland State Historic Site, 225 Waveland Museum Lane.
Pumpkin Run. Oct. 21. This family fun event includes a 3k run, a costume contest, trick or treating along the route, and pumpkin pie at the finish line. All proceeds will benefit Easter Seals Cardinal Hill Adaptive Recreation. Admission fee is $25 per participant. 9:30 a.m. Wellington Park, 565 Wellington Way. https://runsignup.com/Race/KY/Lexington/PumpkinRun3k
Mystical Fair Lexington. Oct. 21-22. Lexington’s only monthly psychic and holistic healing arts fair features local artisans, metaphysical vendors and free seminars. The October fair features “Ohm Aura” readings, intuitive readings, palm readings with Ashley Evans and more. Appointments with readers, psychics or healers can be pre-booked online. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 1084 Whipple Court. www.mysticalfairlex.com
Pumpkin Mania. Oct. 24. Transylvania University will light hundreds of jack-o’-lanterns on the steps of historic Old Morrison during this free Lexington Halloween tradition. Trick-or-treating takes place from 6-7 p.m. with the jack-o’-lantern lighting at 7 p.m. The event will also include food vendors and music. Old Morrison Steps, 251 West Third St. www.transy.edu/newsroom/university-calendar
Downtown “Thriller” and Halloween Parade. Oct. 29. More than 30 years after Michael Jackson’s iconic music video first aired, zombies and the non-dead still come together in downtown Lexington each year to celebrate Halloween with a re-creation of “Thriller.” Children and adults are encouraged to participate in the zombie parade, but everyone must register online or in-person at a scheduled rehearsal by Friday, Oct. 21. (Participants are required to attend at least one regular rehearsal and one staging rehearsal.) Downtown events surrounding the parade include the “Wicked Wonders Art March” and a Halloween variety show. Activities begin at 2 p.m. with the parade kicking off at 8 p.m. www.lexingtonky.gov/thriller
Lexington Film League Showcase at 21c: Screening of "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul." Oct. 30. On "Devil's Night," the Lexington Film League Showcase at 21c presents a special Halloween screening of "At Midnight I'll Take Your Soul" (1964), a Brazilian horror film directed by José Mojica Marins, better known as "Coffin Joe." The film was programmed by local film buff Phill Kisling, who will introduce the show. 7 p.m., 21c Museum Hotel, 167 W. Main St.
Treat or Treat at Blue Grass Stockyard. Oct. 31. The new Blue Grass Regional Marketplace of Blue Grass Stockyard will host a family-friendly Trick or Treat event, featuring games, food and family fun. 5-8 p.m., Blue Grass Stockyard, 4561 Iron Works Pike
Festival del Dia De Los Muertos. Nov. 1. The Living Arts & Science Center's annual "Day of the Dead" celebration is a beautiful and joyous family-friendly event, featuring hands-on crafts (from sugar skull painting to paper flower and mask making); a community altar (attendees are encouraged to bring photos or small memories of loved ones); traditional Latino music, dance and food; and a candlelit parade at dusk from the LASC to the Old Episcopal Burying Ground, where an exhibition of more than 17 altars will be on display. 5-9 p.m., Living Arts & Science Center, 362 N. Martin Luther King Blvd. www.lasclex.org