With Halloween right around the corner, London is getting in the spirit with the return of some ghoulish festivities around the city.
Whether you’re looking for fun family activities, haunted attractions, or a place for a sweet treat, here’s what’s happening in the Forest City this weekend:
Haunted attractions/tours
Eldon House Tours
Only the bravest can enter London’s oldest house, which is rumoured to have ghosts, and learn about Victorian rituals of death, traditions surrounding the afterlife and paranormal phenomena in a one-hour tour this weekend. Tours are offered every one hour.
- Eldon House, 481 Ridout St. N.
- Friday Oct. 28, to Sunday, Oct. 30
- 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Tickets are $15 each
The Abandoned Village
The Fanshawe Pioneer Village and ByronScaryHouse present another performance of “The Abandoned Village,” where this year’s haunted attraction consists of five haunted houses “based on tales from within the diaries found when the village was first discovered abandoned back in 1899,” according to the website.
- Fanshawe Pioneer Village, 1424 Clarke Rd.
- Thursday, Oct. 20, to Monday, Oct. 31 (open Thursday – Sunday, and Halloween night)
- 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Thursdays), 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. (Friday – Sunday, and Halloween night)
- Tickets are $30 each
Halloween events
Museum London Fright Night
After a six-year hiatus, “the spirit of Halloween and host Nikki Nastasia” will be taking over Museum London with drag performances, a DJ battle, live music, tarot card and palm readings, and a costume contest with a $300 Downtown Dollars grand prize.
For more information, click here.
- Museum London, 421 Ridout St. N.
- Saturday, Oct. 29
- 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
- Tickets are $40 each
Wortley Village Comedy Show – Halloween Edition
You can expect cold pints, snacks, and comedians from near and far, and be sure to dust off your spooky attire and dress up for the occasion as there will be a contest with prizes for the “most spooktacular costumes!” For more information, click here.
- Storm Stayed Brewing Company, 169 Wharncliffe Rd. S.
- Saturday, Oct. 29
- 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Tickets are $23.64 each
The Rec Room Haunted Carnival
Celebrate the spooky season with live entertainment, games, food, drinks, photo booths and a costume contest with prizes. For more information, click here.
- The Rec Room, 1680 Richmond Street #Y010
- Saturday, Oct. 29
- 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- Tickets are $25 to $30 (plus tax)
Halloween Haunting
Bring your best costume and running shoes for the Halloween Haunting running event presented by London Road Races.
- Springbank Park, Stone Cottage at 1040 Flint Lane, off Commissioners Road
- Sunday Oct. 30
- Registration opens at 8:45 a.m.
- Ticket information can be found here
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Family fun
Start.ca Halloween in the Village
The 12th annual free event is set to include live bands, vendors, food trucks, as well as a carnival and parade. All proceeds are going to the London Children’s Hospital.
- Wortley Village
- Saturday, Oct. 29
- 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
StoryBOO!
A spooky Halloween event for young children and their families at Storybook Gardens. The park is transformed with spooky lighting, decorations, with a few other treats along the way.
- Storybook Gardens, 1958 Storybook Lane
- Running until Sunday Oct. 30
- 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- up to $12 (children under 2-years-old get in free!)
Costume Party for Camp Wendake
Celebrate a spooky good time at a Halloween party in support of Camp Wendake, a residential camping experience for persons living with HIV and those who support them.
- Canadian Corps/Bar, 1051 Dundas St.
- Saturday, Oct. 29
- Doors open at 8 p.m.
- Tickets are $21.51 each
Halloween Glow Party
The event is for ages 5 to12 and is complete with Halloween games, music, crafts and a movie. Click here for more information.
- Sound in Motion, 1570 Highbury Ave.
- Saturday, Oct. 29
- 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
- $20 +HST for first child, $15 +HST for each additional sibling
Downtown London Halloween Scavenger Hunt
For those interested, download the GooseChase app, enter the game code 476BRV, then create a team or play individually. The first 20 teams will win a $20 giftcard, according to Downtown London’s website.
- Downtown London
- Sunday, Oct. 30, to Tuesday, Nov. 1
- Free (download app to play)
Downtown Candy Crawl
Families will have the opportunity to trick-or-treat at participating businesses while exploring the downtown core.
- Downtown London
- Sunday, Oct. 30
- 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
- Click here for more information
Scary movie/theatre
Grand Ghosts at The Grand Theatre
The production, Grand Ghosts, written by Trina Davies and directed by Jillian Keiley, runs until Nov. 5, centring around the disappearance of theatre magnate Ambrose Small in 1919, a day after he sold his theatre holdings.
For more information about the production and its history, visit this Global News article.
- The Grand Theatre, 471 Richmond St.
- Running until Saturday, Nov. 5
- Time and ticket information can be found here
Finding Hyde
The year is 1908 and famous actor, Richard Mansfield, is being honoured by a remount of Jekyll and Hyde commissioned at the very theatre it was last performed in. But Frederick Douglas, an American thespian, is struggling to capture the essence of Hyde during rehearsals as a strange visitor continues to haunt him. For more information, click here.
- The Palace Theatre, 710 Dundas St. E.
- Running until Sunday, Oct. 30
- Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m., Matinees start at 2 p.m.
- Tickets are $30 for adults, $28 for students and seniors, and youth (12 and under) are $18
Movies at Mustang Drive-In London
Visit their website for a full list of spine-chilling movies on the docket this Halloween.
- Mustang Drive-In London, 2551 Wilton Grove Rd.
- Select dates in October
- Tickets are $13 to $24 each
Horror at the Hyland
Horror movies available until the end of October.
- Hyland Cinema, 240 Wharncliffe Rd. S.
- Select dates in October
- Tickets are $9.50 to $13.50 each
Seasonal activities
Spooky Gourd Painting
Interested families are invited to walk the grounds of Eldon House where children can decorate mini gourds and learn about how Trick or Treating came to be.
- Eldon House, 481 Ridout St. N.
- Sunday, Oct. 30
- Drop in between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
- By donation, registration is required
Halloween Pumpkin Patch
Celebrate the spooky season at the Market this weekend!
- Covent Garden Market – Upstairs Mezzanine, 130 King St.
- Saturday, Oct. 29
- 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Tickets are free
Pumpkin Patches
While some may be outside the city, you can still find your perfect carvable pumpkin in a patch close by.
(Call farms to confirm hours)
- Apple Land Station
- Great Lakes Farms
- Hanes Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch
- Good Family Farm Pumpkins
- Herrle’s Country Farm Market
- Fall Harvest Farm
- Kustermans Berry Farms
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