During October, there’s plenty of Halloween fun in the Cumberland Valley for both adults and children. Here are some highlights to help you plan your Weekend Easy getaway. For a complete list of all Halloween activities, check out our events calendar.

Destination Carlisle’s Halloweekend (October 18-20)

Come to downtown Carlisle for a weekend of spooktacular fun! The storefronts will be decorated with hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins and other seasonal décor. The downtown merchants invite everyone to enjoy photo ops, games, crafts, and specially-themed drinks and food.

The weekend is anchored by three events:

  • The Farm-to-Table dinner on Friday (October 18) is a ticketed event where guests can savor a delicious dinner under the stars at the Historical Society’s pocket park followed by an optional walking ghost tour.
  • Spooky Saturday (October 19) fills the downtown with costumed kids as they trick-or-treat at participating merchant locations.
  • Sunday’s Halloweekend Bucket List (October 20) challenges guests to complete 20 tasks in five hours with prizes available.

Halloween Decorating

Take a hands-on class to make the perfect Halloween decorations for your home. Don't wait until the last minute to sign up for these entertaining activities.

  • Pumpkin Carving Class @ Grand Illusion -- October 9
  • Spook-tacular Planter @ Ashcombe -- October 12
  • Pumpkin Decorating @ Ashcombe -- October 19
  • Girls Day Out: Potted Pumpkins @ Ashcombe -- October 26
  • Adult Chocolatier Class @ Brittle Bark because why should the kids get all the candy at Halloween -- October 16

Ghost Tours and Other Out-of-This-World Experiences

Spend your Friday or Saturday evening with TimeWalker Tours on a guided ghost tour of Carlisle. Learn about the town’s rich history and experience eerie tales of past residents who linger here after death. In addition to their regular tours, from October 18 to November 2, TimeWalker Tours will also be hosting Graveyard Tours at Carlisle's Old Graveyard. Be sure to book in advance on their website. These tours sell out quickly.

Other events include:

  • Halloween Movie Night and Campfire Talk @ Shippensburg Historical Society -- October 4
  • An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe @ Grand Illusion -- October 10
  • Murder Mystery: A Slashing Reunion @ Grand Illusion -- October 17
  • Rocky Horror Picture Show @ Carlisle Theatre -- October 26
  • Conversing with Spirits: Mansion Seances @ Allenberry -- October 31
  • Halloween at Allenberry -- October 31
  • Out of the Ordinary Tales for Halloween @ Square Bean -- October 31

Not-So-Scary Fun for the Little Ones

Even the little ones can get in on the fun. In addition to our traditional Halloween parades, they can enjoy fun, family-friendly activities and events.

  • Youth Chocolatier Class (ages 7 to 13) @ Brittle Bark -- October 12
  • Halloween Egg Hunt & Hayride @ Village Park – an Easter twist on Halloween with candy-filled eggs -- October 13
  • Teen Chocolatier Class @ Brittle Bark -- October 19
  • Streets of Treats in Downtown Mechanicsburg -- October 19
  • Halloween Spooktacular on the Pride of the Susquehanna -- October 26
  • New Cumberland Business Trick-or-Treat in downtown New Cumberland -- October 26
  • Trunk or Treat @ AACA Museum -- October 27

And for the pets: Howl-O’Ween: Pets at Fort Hunter -- October 27

Halloween Parades

Parade information is posted as we receive it. Please check back for updates.

10/8/19 -- Mechanicsburg

10/15/19 – New Cumberland

10/17/19 – Boiling Springs

10/21/19 – Carlisle

10/22/19 -- Camp Hill

10/23/19 -- East Pennsboro Township

10/28/19 – Newville