If Halloween is your favorite holiday, make sure to check out these events to get in the spirit.
Boo Bash at the Beach
Enjoy a day at the beach with a Halloween twist on Saturday, Oct. 20 from 1-4 p.m. at the Boo Bash at the Beach at Jamestown Beach Event Park. Costumes welcome. Trick-or-treating onsite for ages 12 and younger. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Also enjoy hands-on activities, pumpkin carving and decorating. First come, first served while supplies last. Event also includes music, games, food for purchase and more! Cost is $5 per car (cash or check only). This event is sponsored by James City County Parks & Recreation.
Family Frights at Jamestown Settlement
Enjoy Family Frights at Jamestown Settlement on Friday, Oct. 26 and Saturday, Oct. 27 each night from 6:30-9 p.m. This is a Halloween-themed museum night for elementary-school-age children and families returns for the fifth year to Jamestown Settlement with trick-or-treating, ghostly tales, haunted ship and houses, and grisly games. There is a separate admission fee for this event.
Ghost Trail Hayrides at York River State Park
Join York River State Park for this spooky hayride thru the woods of the park to discover some of its haunted past through storytelling. Hayrides are offered on Oct. 20, Oct. 26 and Oct. 27 from 6:30-10 p.m. Don't worry, you can pretend that you are not scared, but who are you really fooling? Reservations are required by calling 757-566-3036. Cost is $4 per person.
Haunted River Cruise at Jamestown Island
Climb aboard the only river-based ghost tour on the James River, listen to the stories of strange occurrences and hear of the spirits that haunt America’s oldest permanent English settlement. Tours will occur on select evenings through the first weekend of November. Tour times vary. All tours will leave from the James City County Marina at 2054 Jamestown Road. Reservations must be made in advance for tours and will be held rain or shine. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for children ages 7-12 and $10 for children ages 3-6. All tours will last one hour and are aboard a spacious United States Coast Guard pontoon boat that seats 28 passengers and is handicap accessible. There is a restroom on board the boat.
Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens
Fill fall nights with fear and fright during Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens. This year, Howl-O-Scream is celebrating 20 years of fears and an all-new “Era of Terror” with more scares than ever. Fear awaits in Howl-O-Scream’s collection of elaborate haunted houses, immersive themed scare zones, challenging escape rooms and darkly entertaining live shows. Busch Gardens becomes a seriously scary place at 5:45 p.m. when the haunts come out for Howl-O-Scream. Guests should consider the park’s elevated scare factor. The haunts are every Friday, Saturday and Sunday along with select Thursdays through Oct. 28.
Pumpkinville
Pumpkinville is a fun, seasonal treasure in Toano and is operated by a local family farm. Your family can pick their own pumpkins from their patch or choose from a large selection of pre-picked pumpkins in the yard. In addition to pumpkins, there is a large selection of gourds, winter squash, flowers, wooden cut-outs, arts and crafts and fall decorations. Bundles of cornstalks and bales of straw are also available for purchase. There are lots of free activities including a hayride, corn mazes and games. The hayride runs the perimeter of the field.
Tales of “The Devill, the Witches, & the Enchanters…”: A Haunted Evening at Historic Jamestowne
Peer into the world of the 17th-century and learn what scared our ancestors the most. A unique opportunity to see Jamestown Island aglow with firelight, Tales of “The Devill, the Witches, & the Enchanters… ”: A Haunted Evening at Historic Jamestowne will be presented on Saturday, Oct. 27 at 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. Hear actual eyewitness accounts of conjurations and witchcraft from 17th-century Virginia, brought to life through character interpretations. Each story will be introduced with a historical context that will offer how the perceived “supernatural” events evolved to blur logic and create fear for those who experienced them first hand. And it is the legacy of this fear of the unknown, darkness and the misunderstood that is still echoed every Oct. 31. Tickets are $18 and must be purchased in advance.