SAT OCT 7 

Story Walk: The Little Ghost Who Lost Her Boo, 10 am to 4 pm, McConnell Springs. Story walks are a combination of the fun of a story with an added hike through the park. Pages of children’s stories will be posted along the trails for a self-guided activity for the whole group. 

SAT OCT 14 

Kentucky Ballet Theatre presents Dracula, Lexington Opera House. 

FRI OCT 20 

Scarefest returns to the Lexington Center for the weekend. 

SAT OCT 21 

Drop-in to Artworks at the Carver School to  make a pre-cut Halloween print or register in advance to carve your own. 1 pm to 4 pm. 

Trunk or Treat at the annual Whitaker Family YMCA Trunk or Treat. Drop by the parking lot near the Outdoor Pavilion for an afternoon of family fun. There will be a costume contest, trunk decoration contest, fellowship, and fun! Bring your family & friends, this event is free to the community. Costume contest prizes will be grouped by individual costume (1st-3rd place) at 3 p.m. and group/family costume (1st-3rd place) at 3:15 p.m.

SUN OCT 22 

Carve it up. Calling all pumpkin Picassos. Come to McConnell Springs Park for a Carve & Chip’n event to add pumpkins to this year’s Jack-o-lantern Trail. You supply the pumpkin, the Park will have tools and stencils, and will take care of the mess when you’re finished. 

All pumpkins will be donated to the Jack-o-lantern Trail which takes place at McConnell Springs Park Oct. 26 – 28. All donors will receive free admission to the trail and a free poster.

TUE OCT 24 

Examine the world of plants and fungi that have been historically associated with witchcraft and potions, at Witches Brew Botany.  Learn about the traditional uses of these plants and their chemical properties! 6 pm, Woodland Park. 

WED OCT 25 

You and your dog are invited to a Howloween Party at Yappy Hour, 5:30 pm Wellington Park. We will have a pay-what-you-like costume contest ($5 suggested) with winners in several categories including “Greatest DIY” and “Best Overall.” Donations go to Friends of the Dog Parks. Locally sourced food trucks, live music, frozen dessert, cold beer, hard cider and activities will be available for you and your furry best friends. 

FRI OCT 27 

Join Fort Boonesborough for an annual Halloween Lights Drive-Thru. 

THU OCT 26 

Hike the Jack-o-Lantern Trail, 6:30 pm thru 10 pm, thru Sunday at McConnell Springs. Enjoy an enchanting Halloween experience at McConnell Springs featuring hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins as they light up the night. In addition to the glow of the pumpkins, there will be campfires and s’mores, live owls from Critters in the Classroom and tasty fall food and beverages. 

SUN OCT 29 

This is Thriller. Head downtown for the annual Halloween Parade and Thriller. The Halloween Parade features floats, costumed characters, and many performance groups. The festivities culminate with the annual Thriller reenactment where several hundred zombies will dance, dawdle and drag themselves down Main Street to the classic Michael Jackson tune. Pedestrians can watch all along the parade route, which is on Main Street starting at Quality Street and ending at Mill Street. The rain date for the parade and Thriller will be Oct. 30. This event has been named a Top 10 Halloween Destination by USA Today and was featured in the Top 25 Best Halloween Festivals Across the U.S. by Oprah Magazine.

TUE OCT 31 

Trick or Treat at Bluegrass Stockyards, 6:30 pm to 8 pm. 

MOVIE SIDEBAR 

FREAKY FLICKS 

Put a little fright in your night with the return of Lexington’s free Freaky Flicks movie series. Enjoy fun, family-friendly, spine-chilling films to get you Spooky Season ready. Pre-show activities will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a Monster Mash dance party. The movie will begin at dark, around 7:30 p.m.

OCT 6 Hocus Pocus, Masterson Station

OCT 13 Casper (1995), Moondance 

OCT 20 Monsters Inc, Moondance

SCARY MOVIES 

OCT 1 The Exorcist 50th Anniversary, Movie Tavern Brannon Crossing

OCT 7 Twilight Saga Movie Marathon, Movie Tavern Brannon Crossing

OCT 13 Phantom of the Opera, Kentucky Theatre 

OCT 22 The Birds 60th Anniversary, Movie Tavern Brannon Crossing

This article appears on pages 8-9 of the October 2023 issue of Hamburg Journal. To get the digital edition delivered to your inbox each month, click here.