Spooky City? Haunted Hamlet? Nah, it's Halloween Town
If you build it, (the dead) will come!
Such is the premise behind Halloween Town - the free, spook-clustered, family-happy, pre-All Hallow's Eve spectacular taking place Friday in New London's Waterfront Park.
Can your heart stand the terror?
Of course it can! In fact, hearts young and old will welcome the aggregate horrors waiting for you.
There's the Trick or Trunk processional - wherein over 25 respective local businesses park haunted vehicles on the parkway, fill the trunks with candy, and kiddos go on a treat-filled pilgrimage.
Hopefully, said kiddos will also be dressed in phantasmagoric fashion since there's also a costume contest for children under 13, sponsored by Ocean Beach Park. And the Halloween Town Dance Party will encourage much impromptu musical choreography.
That creepy ship in the harbor is a spectral pirate ship, and the dead buccaneers aboard are waiting for you. Oh, and if you run from the boat - screaming, of course - make sure you detour through the Zombie Cemetery (the risen dead are portrayed with eerie authenticity by students from New London High School).
There will also be live music from both the City Pier and Custom House stages. Creatures and monsters of all sorts will roam the waterfront, and visitors can approach them for photo opportunities. All sorts of street performers and magicians will also be making the rounds, and, yes, you can purchase food, snacks and beverages from vendors.
"We intentionally schedule Halloween Town a week before Halloween so it doesn't conflict with the actual day," says Barbara Neff, head of Neff Productions, the outfit that organizes Halloween Town for the Downtown New London Association. "This way, kids get to celebrate twice - and what child doesn't like the idea of two Halloweens? Plus, as with Hurricane Sandy two years ago, the weather sort of ruined the real Halloween, so it's nice to have Halloween Town as another option."
Off and on for years, there wereHalloween events in downtown New London, from trick-or-treating store-to-store to a haunted house to hayrides and a ghostly cornfield along the waterfront. Over time, Neff, says, the Halloween Town concept evolved. So many kids were crowding downtown streets that there were safety concerns; the waterfront seemed to provide security and atmosphere.
"It's instinctively become a very family-oriented event," Neff says, "and people have started showing up from all over the region. Which is ideal. It brings people into New London, it's friendly, and people feel comfortable."
Neff says the Halloween Town committee has been working on and conceptualizing aspects of the event since August. "We start right after Sailfest, and it seems like a long time till October," she laughs. "But there's a lot involved in Halloween Town and, well, it's already here."
Halloween Town, 6-9 p.m. Friday, New London downtown and waterfront; newlondonmainstreet.org.
A sampling of Halloween activities this week
FRIDAY
Silent Movie Night Spooktacular - 7:30 p.m., Christ Episcopal Church, 78 Washington St., Norwich; organist Robert Humphreville accompanies the film "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde"; creepy costumes encouraged; $5; (860) 425-0663.
Spooky Nature Trail - 5:30-7:30 p.m., Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center, 110 Pequotsepos Road, Mystic; self-guided tour past nymphs and fairies, wild animals, jack-o-lanterns; Halloween treats and cider, crafts, games; through Sat.; $10, $8.50 members; $9.50, $8 in advance; (860) 536-1216.
Haunted House - 6 p.m., Branch 20, Fleet Reserve Association, 242 Thames St. Groton; (860) 445-0731.
Halloween Party - 7 p.m., Retired Armed Forces Association, 135 Garfield Ave., New London; prizes for best, original and scariest costumes; sign up at club to bring a pot luck dish.
Trick or Trunk - 6 p.m., Eastern Point Beach, Eastern Point Road, Groton; participants should decorate their car and bring candy to hand out to trick or treaters; gates lock at 6:45 p.m.; free; (860) 446-4128.SATURDAY
Hygienic Art's Howling Halloween Bash - 8 p.m., Crocker House Ballroom, Union Street, New London; $40, $35 in advance; hygienic.org.
Spook-a-thon - 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Dodd Stadium, Stott Avenue, Norwich; family 4K cornstalk walk; costume contest, prizes, doggie costume contest, balloon artist and more; benefits local families served by the Backus Hospital Breast & Cancer Centers; free admission; SpookathoCT.org.
Pumpkin Festival - 5-8 p.m., Ivoryton Green, Main Street; refreshments, contests and games, live music and pumpkins; bring your own carved pumpkin for the jack-o-lantern stroll.
Halloween Silent Movie Spooktacular - 7:30 p.m., Christ Church School of Arts, 78 Washington St., Norwich; screening of the 1920 silent movie classic "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde," with Robert Humphreville playing the organ; costumes encouraged; all ages; $5; (860) 425-0663.
A Hempstead Halloween - 5-8 p.m., Hempsted Houses, 11 Hempstead St., New London; meet the ghosts of six New Londoners with ghoulish stories to tell and make s'mores over an open fire; $7, $6 seniors, $15 family; (860) 443-7949.
Scarecrows and Cocoa - 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Leffingwell House Museum, 348 Washington St., Norwich; scavenger hunt among the scarecrows in the 1700 dooryard garden; refreshments; $5, free for members; (860) 889-9440.
Alice Acres Festival - 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Route 12, Gales Ferry; Halloween costume stroll for the kids and dogs with Farmer Pete giving a free ice cream to all who take part; miniature horses; free; (860) 287-3504.
Princess & Pirates Weekend - 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Mystic Aquarium, Coogan Boulevard, Mystic; guests are invited to don their favorite princess or pirate costume or simply come as they are to participate in the interactive treasure hunt for kids; prizes for the best costumes; meet the Snow Queen and Captain Jack; included in admission cost; (860) 572-5955 ext. 338.SUNDAY
Halloween Parade - 1 p.m., Niantic Village, Main Street; trick or treats in downtown shops; parade begins at 2 p.m. at Hole In the Wall Beach; costume prizes; (860) 691-0528.
Spooky Science - 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m,, Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut, 409 Main St., Niantic; Halloween celebration with decorations, demonstrations, and experiments; (860) 691-1111.
Great Halloween Egg Hunt - 5-6:30 p.m., Stonington Human Services, 166 South Broad St., Pawcatuck; $5 entrance fee per family; (860) 535-5015.
Halloween Concert with Westminster Youth String Ensemble - 1 p.m., Westerly Armory, 35 Railroad Ave.; Big Nazo Puppet Creatures, hands-on kids mask making, costume parade, refreshments; free admission; bring a canned good for the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center; (401) 596-5225.
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