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Oct. 31 is fast approaching, which means there’s only a few days left to take advantage of Halloween-themed events going on around Kingston.
There are plenty of haunted houses around Ontario to visit, but if you just can’t get away before the big spooky day, here’s a list of scary, creepy and Halloween-themed things to do closer to home.
In the ramp up to Halloween, all of these events are open over the weekend of Oct. 26-28 and some will be running all the way to Thursday, Nov. 1.
Halloween events
Come October, Kingston’s most visited attraction Fort Henry takes on a Jekyll and Hyde quality. At night, the historic fort transforms into Fort Fright, a haunted house elevated by the fact that Fort Henry is actually supposed to be a home to at least one real ghost — some workers have sworn they’ve seen ghosts in the halls of the old military battlement. But not to worry for the little ones and faint of heart, Fort Fright also has some family friendly exhibits.
WATCH: Fort Fright enters its 12th season
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There are two versions of the haunted walk you can take. The original haunted walk runs regularly from February to November, but from Oct. 26-31 only, the tour guides tell their scariest stories for the time running up to and on Halloween. The special Halloween haunted walk includes a trip to Kingston’s infamous Skeleton Park, the city’s biggest graveyard.
Kingston Ghost and Mystery Trolley Tour
This 90-minute tour takes you through downtown Kingston, to places like Fort Henry, Deadman’s Bay and the Rockwood Asylum, and gives you the history behind some of Kingston’s most mysterious deaths, hauntings and ghost stories. The tour runs in the evenings starting at 6 p.m. from Thursday through Sunday until Oct. 31.
There are just a few more nights to catch Upper Canada Village’s annual Pumpkinferno. Although it’s a bit of a trek to get there, the nearly two-hour drive will be worth it. The event runs only in the evenings because it’s the best way to see hundreds of pumpkins carved, lit up and constructed into fantastic shapes. The website says this year there will be more than 7,000 carved pumpkins. But tickets are selling out so it’s best to book quickly.
Wolfe Island corn maze fright night
Jump on the ferry to cross from Kingston to Wolfe Island and get lost in the haunted corn maze. The maze is open on Friday and Saturday evenings until the end of October. The maze is located at 607 Road 95, and you can catch the ferry from Kingston starting at 7 p.m. and leave at 10:30 p.m.
On Oct. 27, a dozen stores in the downtown area will be taking part in the great pumpkin hunt.
Those participating will have to visit all 12 stores where they will find a hidden great pumpkin. Find all 12 and you are entered into a draw for the grand prize. Downtown Kingston says it will be a family friendly event.
To cap all of the Halloween festivities, Downtown Kingston is hosting a pumpkin parade at Confederation Park the day after Halloween. The parade is meant to give people a chance to show off their carved pumpkins one last time before the end of the spooky season. The event will start at 4 p.m. at Confederation Park, but the parade will begin at 6 p.m. Tomlinson will be collecting all of the pumpkins for composting at the end of the parade.
LISTEN: See what Downtown Kingston has planned for Halloween
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