PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Editor's note: The above video is from Oct. 31, 2022.
It's a holiday that some people have been looking forward to since the first fall breeze of the season blew through central Pennsylvania.
Halloween 2023 will be celebrated on Tuesday, Oct. 31.
Of course, a number of parades and trick-or-treat nights will be held to celebrate.
Here is a list of events on and around the spooky day to enjoy:
(If you don't see your trick-or-treat night or event on this list and would like it added, send an email with the details to news@FOX43.com.)
Adams County
Celebrate Halloween with an annual costume party in the Brookmere Winery Barn on Friday, Oct. 20. Doors open at 7 p.m. with live music and plenty of tasty food. Come dressed to kill as prizes will go to lucky winners for the following categories: Best Couple, Scariest and Most Original. RSVP to the event online for $10 or buy tickets at the door for $15. To purchase your tickets, click here.
The annual Gettysburg Halloween Parade will start at 7:15 p.m. on Oct. 24, with a rain date of Oct. 25. Organizers say a parade day map will be released sometime in October, with a full schedule and more details to come as well. A costume contest will take place prior to the parade at 6 p.m. in Lincoln Square at the HD Entertainment Grandstand. Registration for the contest begins at 5:30 p.m. There will also be performances by local baton and dance groups and food trucks in Lincoln Square beginning at 5 p.m.
On Oct. 21, over 500 children are expected to attend this free fall event! Located at 6019 Chambersburg Road in Orrtanna, Mister Ed's Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium will host its Great Pumpkin Party with plenty to do! Each child in attendance can paint one pumpkin and Halloween costumes are always encouraged! Attendees can also watch a master pumpkin carver turn giant pumpkins into works of spooky art. Guests can also purchase a raffle ticket to support the Adams County SPCA for the chance to win a carved giant pumpkin for your front porch! Registration is not required.
Cumberland County
The parade will take place on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. and follow this route: Starting on Market Street in front of the Trinity Lutheran Church, then west on Market to North 24th Street, then from North 24th Street to Walnut Street and finally ending at the Camp Hill Borough Building. Registration is from 5 - 5:45 p.m. in Trinity Lutheran Church's parking lot. Parade participants should bring the registration form found on the parade website with them. Prizes will be awarded afterward in these categories: most original, princess, spookiest, funniest, superhero/hero, family/group and pets. The parade will have a rain date of Oct. 24.
Residents are invited to go trick or treating in the Borough from 6 - 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 31. In the case of inclement weather, it will be held the following Saturday at the same time, rain or shine. If utilizing the rain date is necessary, a decision will be made by noon and posted on the Borough website and social media, officials said.
Carlisle's parade will take to the streets on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. There is no rain date; organizers recommend those interested in attending stay informed with Carlisle Parks and Recreation's Facebook or the event Facebook page. Marchers will start from the intersection of North and East Streets and head west on E. North Street to Hanover Street, then turn south on Hanover Street to Willow Street, where the parade will disband. North Street will be closed to all through traffic between East and Spring Garden Streets around 5 p.m., organizers said. Surrounding street closures will occur around 5:30 p.m.
Cancelled due to ongoing reconstruction along the parade route.
The 36th annual Shippensburg Halloween Parade will take place on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. Organizers say the route will be published on Facebook and in the Shippensburg News-Chronicle the week of the parade.
Dauphin County
The Dauphin-Middle Paxton Lions Club will hold its Halloween parade on Saturday, October 21, in Dauphin Borough.
The communities’ trick-or-treaters, parade floats and families are invited. More than $1,200 in cash prizes will be awarded for the best costumes and floats, and refreshments will be served after the parade.
Registration begins at 3:30 p.m. at Erie and Delaware streets (floats should enter Erie Street near Hardee’s). The parade will step off at 4 p.m.
The Township of Derry Department of Parks and Recreation, in correlation with the Friends of Derry Township Parks & Recreation and the Hershey Federal Credit Union will sponsor the 75th Annual Hershey Halloween Parade through the streets of Hershey on Wednesday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. The Hershey Company will supply candy for the parade route! Judging for the costume contest will begin at 6:15 p.m., prizes will be given to each division (1st through 6th place).
The parade will be held on October 24 at 7:00 p.m., and will form at 30th and Derry Streets at 6:30 p.m. and it will conclude with the awarding of prizes.
The Parks & Recreation Halloween Bash at the Brownstone is an opportunity for the community to come together and enjoy the holiday with family and friends! This free event has something to offer for everyone, including crafts, games, food, vendors, a reptile petting zoo, a costume contest and face painting! This event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 6-9 p.m. at 100 Concert Drive.
For the third year, Fleet Feet Mechanicsburg will host a Halloween 10k along Harrisburg's Capital Area Greenbelt. Racers are invited to come in costume for a chance to win a Fleet Feet gift card. Runners will take their marks on City Island at 9 a.m. on Oct. 28. Registration packets can be picked up on Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Fleet Feet Mechanicsburg, Oct. 27 from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Fleet Feet Harrisburg or on City Island the day of the race from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Participants are invited to bring a decorated pumpkin when they come to pick up their packet that will be displayed along the course and entered into a contest for a chance to win a Fleet Feet gift card.
The 6th annual Harrisburg Bar Crawl is expected to be the biggest yet, with over 750 people attending! Specific details are expected to be released two weeks before the crawl, but attendees can expect a long day with multiple hot spots across Harrisburg. To snag your tickets, click here.
This scavenger-hunt-style trick-or-treating experience will be held at Fort Hunter Mansion on Oct. 29 from 2 - 5 p.m. Children 12 and under are invited to come in costume to follow the clues to goodies. The event is rain or shine.
Over 50 unique vendors will be at this outdoor event, alongside food trucks and free activities for kids. The event will be held on Sat., Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Houck Manor Park, located at 628 Walnut Ave. in Harrisburg. Don't forget to bring your little ones dressed up in their Halloween costumes to this event. They can trick-or-treat while you relax and shop. Parking and admission to the event are free.
Franklin County
This free event brings all the fun of fall to downtown Chambersburg! AppleFest will be held Saturday, Oct. 21 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 100 Lincoln Way East. Here you will find art, crafters, music, food trucks, downtown shopping, restaurants and so much more to do. Activities will be available for all ages throughout the day.
Trick or Treat on Main is a two-hour event held on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by a costume contest at the Courthouse Plaza in Chambersburg. Anyone who would like to participate in the contest is asked to meet at the plaza at 1 p.m., judging will begin at 1:15 p.m. Prizes will be awarded at the time of the event.
Haunted Jail 2023
The Franklin County Historical Society will host its annual haunted jail fundraiser on Oct. 20 and 22 and Oct. 27 and 28 from 7 to 10 p.m.
This year's theme is "The Night of the Clowns."
Guests will encounter ghosts, goblins, and other haunts as they traverse four floors of the jail, including the three story cellblock and dungeon areas.
The cost is $12 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under, payable at the door or online here.
Lancaster County
Note: Most Lancaster County boroughs and municipalities adhere to the Lancaster County Intermunicipal Committee's Trick-or-Treat policy, which established a recommended Trick-or-Treat date and time of 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 31.
The LIMC includes the city of Lancaster; boroughs of Columbia, East Petersburg, Millersville and Mountville; and townships of Brecknock, East Hempfield, East Lampeter, Lancaster, Manheim, Manor, Pequea, West Hempfield and West Lampeter.
As trick-or-treat is not governed by municipal law or ordinance, the LIMC's policy is a recommendation only, and does not prohibit or prevent residents, organizations and/or neighborhoods from conducting trick-or-treat activities on other dates or times.
Enjoy a relaxing night with friends, music and drinks (BYOB) while a professional artist guides you in creating your own piece of art. On Sunday, Oct. 8 from 1-3 p.m., instructor Megan Grozier will instruct participants to paint a Twilight Halloween Cat. Book your seat here and head to 124 S. Centerville Road in Lancaster for this special event on the 8th!
Ready to test your Halloween knowledge? See how well you stack up against others with your spooky movie, music and pop culture knowledge at Old Republic Distillery, located at 3 Dutchland Ave. on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 21 from 4-6 p.m. for the 2nd annual Halloween Costume Party & Parade in Lancaster. The excitement will begin at 1850 Marietta Ave., where the enchanting costume parade will begin through Homestead Village. The parade will conclude in Radar Park with live music, a bicycle raffle, ice cream, yard games, crafts, tractor rides and more! Free entry registration can be found here.
Attendees can join in on the free fun on Oct. 23 from 6-8 p.m. at The Shops @ Rockville. Trunk or Treat with local businesses, a bounce house, balloon artists, food trucks and live music can all be expected at this free event!
On Saturday, Oct. 28 from 4-10 p.m., get ready to eat, drink and be scary! This Halloween extravaganza is sure to delight and fright all who attend. Attendees must purchase their tickets to this event here. One of the highlights of this crawl is the costume contest, where crawlers can come dressed in one of their scariest or most creative costumes to win a prize!
Join community members for a night of candy, games, prizes and food on Oct. 29 from 6-8 p.m. There will be a spooky bus at Ephrata's Trunk or Treat, located at 222 Dutch Lanes and the event is completely free to the public!
Mifflin County
It's three hours of food, fun and drinks at this Halloween Bash! A $50 ticket will include a pasta bar, two alcoholic drinks with access to a cash bar to follow, campfires, hot cocoa and cider bar, and other Halloween treats! There will also be plenty of music, dancing and games for all attendees as well! Sound like a good time? Clear your schedule for Friday, Oct. 27 from 6:30-9:30 p.m., at the Juniata Valley Winery, located at 19175 PA-35 in Mifflin. Tickets can be found here.
York County
This historic railroad has a number of events and rides planned to celebrate the Halloween season.
- Fall Foliage
- Beginning Oct. 1, fall foliage railroad excursions will depart several times a weekend and a few select weekdays. Participants can admire the changing leaves and learn more about the history of the area they pass through. View the calendar for a more comprehensive schedule and to book a ride.
- Halloween Express
- This ghostly train ride will depart at 10 a.m. and noon on Oct. 28. Riders are encouraged to dress up in their Halloween best (costumes encouraged)! Upon returning to the station, children are invited to a trunk-or-treat in the High Street parking lot next to Marge Goodfellow Park. Trunk-or-treating will be moved inside the train station in the event of rain.
- Ghost Tracks & Campfire Frights
- Listen to ghost stories as your train winds through the woods to Seitzland. On the way back to New Freedom, the train will stop for passengers to enjoy a campfire with smores and hot dogs (weather permitting). Riders are asked to lawn chairs and blankets to sit by the fire. This event is child-friendly and will depart at 6 p.m. on Oct. 28.
The York Halloween Parade will step off from the York Fairgrounds at 2 p.m. on Oct. 29. The festivities will wind east on Market Street from Richland Avenue to Broad Street. This year's theme is "Written in Blood." Marchers are encouraged to design their ideas around their favorite spooky pieces of literature.
Put on your costume and dancing shoes! DJ Gigi Marrero will spin some haunting tunes and host a costume contest at The Cantina. The Oct. 28 party will start at 7 p.m. and feature drink specials, a happy hour from 4 - 6 p.m. and $3 well drinks from 9 - 11 p.m.
The downtown York brewing company will host band Swaamp at 7 p.m. on Oct. 28 for a Halloween Party. Join Gift Horse Brewing Company in the garden for this jam session.
This Halloween-themed bar crawl will appropriately take place on Friday, Oct. 13. Join sponsors The Dark Parlour, Royal Square District and Fang Around on a crawl through downtown York, starting in the Royal Square District at 7 p.m. Participants are encouraged to come decked out like the undead.
The Dark Parlour will also host a thread painting class for adults to make their own spooky embroidery project. The class is BYOB for those 21 or older and includes all supplies necessary for the project in the cost of the class. Tickets can be purchased here for the event, which will be held from 4 - 6 p.m. on Oct. 15.
West York Area School District's National Honor Society will host a Trunk or Treat event on Oct. 19 from 6 - 8 p.m. The event will be held in the band lot, with the line starting on Diamond Street. There will be candy, games, music and food trucks.
Anyone interested in bringing a car or donating candy is asked to contact mjcarl@wyasd.org or kmhouck@wyasd.org.