The end of October signifies a few things: fall is in full effect, midterms are (hopefully) over, and the spookiest day of the year is quickly approaching. With Thursday being All Hallow’s Eve, more commonly known as Halloween, there are plenty of activities to get the festivities started.
Every year there is the usual trick-or-treating as well as the growing number of ‘trunk-or-treats’ for families, but Philadelphia offers a multitude of attractions and events geared for anybody and everybody. Check out this list for some of the creepiest, spookiest, or just plain fun and festive events going on around the area.
Pumpkin patch with a twist
Located in St. Joe’s backyard, Jack’s Pumpkin Glow has returned to the Fairmount Park neighborhood of Philadelphia for its third consecutive year with more than 5,000 hand carved creations. The pumpkins are stretched out along a trail and include familiar carvings of Gritty, the cast of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky.” Using a combination of real and artificial pumpkins, all hand carved, this year the attraction offers a range of creations from dinosaurs and sugar skulls to portraits and Philadelphia culture. This attraction runs until Nov. 2.
The dead walk the earth
Halloween is not the only holiday occurring at the end of the month. Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday where people honor their family members who have died. By honoring one’s ancestors with an ‘ofrenda’, or offering, they are believed to be able to return to the Earth in spirit to be with their families. While this holiday is celebrated from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, Philadelphia has been celebrating throughout October and will continue into November. Día de los Muertos at the Fleisher Art Memorial in the Italian Market neighborhood is celebrating from Nov. 1 through Nov. 6, beginning with Pachanga de los Muertos, or Party of the Dead, and ending with a public vigil.
Things that go bump in the night
Philadelphia is known for many things, but one of those things is a recurring haunted house. Located minutes from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Eastern State Penitentiary transforms itself from a museum and historical site into a house of horrors called “Terror Behind the Walls.” The haunted house started in 1991 and originally only hosted a few hundred people to serve as a fundraiser for the former prison-turned-historic site. Almost 30 years later, Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls claims to be one of the largest and most successful haunted attractions in the country. In addition to a well orchestrated terrifying performance from actors, Eastern State has the unique benefit of a haunting reputation for housing criminals for over a century.
Whether you love Halloween or just love being festive, be sure to make the most of these events as well as the many others the City of Brotherly Love has to offer for fall 2019.
