Wilmington,
NC – October 2017 / Newsmaker Alert / Have you ever wondered
what makes a place haunted? We asked local ghost lore expert and
Ghost Walk/Haunted Pub Crawl tour owner John Hirchak why Wilmington, North
Carolina is legendary as a haunted city. Hirchak, the author of Ghosts
of Old Wilmington, cites our port city’s storied past, along with some
chilling tales of local ghosts. Click
here to read his Halloween guest blog.
Wilmington’s haunted past
is retold year-round on guided ghost walks and haunted tours. And during
the month of October, nearly two dozen Halloween-theme events take place
from Wilmington’s
historic river district to the colorful seaside towns of Carolina
Beach,
Kure
Beach and Wrightsville
Beach. Thrill-seekers can get into the ‘spirit’ with spine-tingling
tours, haunted attractions, spooky theatrical productions, scary movies,
zombie parties, cemetery tours and other ghoulish events. For younger goblins
and families who prefer non-scary fun, there are fall festivals, carriage
rides to a haunted barn and costume trick-or-treat events at the Battleship
North Carolina and the North
Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.
Here’s a sampling of Halloween
Happenings:
|
Ongoing
(year-round)—Ghost Walk of
Old Wilmington. 6:30pm & 8:30pm nightly through Oct. 31; then
6:30pm in Nov. (nightly) & Dec. through March (Thurs., Fri., Sat.).
Costumed guides lead visitors through alleyways with tales of haunted Wilmington.
Admission charged. Meets at Water & Market streets. Reservations required:
910-794-1866.
Ongoing (year-round)—Haunted
Pub Crawl. Wed.-Sat. 7:30pm. Ages 21+. Admission charge. Reservations
required. Call for starting location: 910-794-1866.
Ongoing (year-round)—Haunted
Cotton Exchange Tours. Daily; call for hours. Admission charged.
Cotton Exchange (parking lot street entrance, 300 N. Water Street), Wilmington.
910-409-4300.
Each Friday & Saturday
& Oct. 31 (Oct. 20-21, 27-28 & 31)—TheaTerror:
Dinner Theatre. Doors open 6pm; show at 7pm. TheaTerror is a throwback
to the classic slasher flicks of the 80’s. A masked killer is loose on
a doomed production of Macbeth, staged by the ragtag cast and crew of the
Penny Theater Company. Mature audiences. Advance tickets required. TheatreNow,
19 S. 10th St, Wilmington. 910-399-3669.
Each Friday & Saturday
(Oct. 20-21, 27-28)—Macabaret:
Theatre. 10pm. An evening of gallows humor, song, and dance. Mature
audiences. Advance tickets required. TheatreNow, 19 S. 10th St, Wilmington.
910-399-3669.
Oct. 20-22, 27-29, 31—CarnEvil
In The Woods: Phobia Haunted Trail. 8pm-midnight (13+); 12pm-4pm
(recommended for kids 5-12) Get your scare on! Face your deepest, darkest
fears while on this unique haunted trail. Admission charged. Cardinal Lanes,
3907 Shipyard Blvd, Wilmington. 910-805-7552.
Oct. 20, 26, 27—Paranormal
Ghost Tours. 7pm, 8pm & 9pm. Guided paranormal ghost tours
of Poplar Grove Plantation’s Manor House offered on Friday nights. Tales
include spirits (a.k.a. haints, circa 1850 to 1950) that continue to hover.
Admission charged; advance reservations. Poplar Grove Plantation, 10200
US Hwy. 17 N., Wilmington. 910-686-9518.
Oct. 20-22, 26-29 & 31—NHHS
Lyceum Haunted House “SoundStage 13”. Thurs. & Sun. 7pm-10pm;
Fri. & Sat. 7pm-12am. This year’s Lyceum haunted adventure “Soundstage
13” is an immersion into the scariest stories ever seen onscreen. See if
you can survive where the most horrifying movies of all time were filmed,
movies so terrifying that their spirits still linger where they were created,
and within the props that were used to bring them to life. Rated PG-13.
Admission charge. 921 Princess Street, Wilmington.
Oct. 21—Family
Fall Festival. 9am-12pm. The Family Fall Festival features pumpkin
crafts, outdoor games, and fall treats. Admission charged. Children’s Museum
of Wilmington, 116 Orange St. 910-254-3534.
Oct. 21—Monster
Dash 2k & 7k Trail Run. Registration 7am; race at 8:30am. Dress
in costume and join the Cape Fear Youth Flyers Running Club for a run through
Carolina Beach State Park.
Oct. 21—Historical
Walking Tours of Oakdale Cemetery. 10am-12pm. Guided tours of NC’s
oldest rural cemetery. Weather-permitting; Admission charged. Oakdale Cemetery,
Wilmington. 910-762-5682.
Oct. 24—Batty
Battleship’s Halloween Bash. 5:30pm-8pm. A family event with fun
games, activities and storytelling. Enjoy a petting zoo and treats, and
remember to wear your costume. Admission charged. Battleship North Carolina,
1 Battleship Rd, Wilmington. 910-251-5797.
Oct. 25—UNCW
Halloween Carnival for Kids. UNCW student volunteers create and
staff a safe Halloween carnival with fun and games for children. Free.
UNCW Campus, 601 S. College Rd, Wilmington. 910-962-3000.
Oct. 26-28—Trick-or-Treat
Under the Sea. 4:30pm-8:00pm.This family-friendly event features
thrills and gills and includes indoor trick-or-treating, face painting,
storytelling and haunted gardens. Admission charged. Advance tickets required.
NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, 900 Loggerhead Rd., Kure Beach. 910-458-8257.
Oct. 26 & 28—In
Memoriam: A Victorian Mourning.7pm-9pm. Get into the Halloween
spirit as you discover the customs and rituals of death in Victorian Era
America. Costumed docents will guide you through this authentic house tour
examining the decorations, clothing, burial practices, and foods that were
customary for Victorians when death visited their family. Tickets required.
Latimer House Museum, 126 S. 3rd St, Wilmington. 910-762-0492.
Oct. 26-28 & 31—Wilmington
Horror Story: Mansions of Madness. 7pm. For four eerie nights,
the historic Bellamy Mansion and Burgwin-Wright House will be transformed
into interactive theatrical experiences designed to deliver Halloween thrills.
Enjoy beer and local food truck offerings as you get in the spirit. Admission
charged. Bellamy Mansion Museum, 503 Market St, Wilmington. 910-251-3700.
Oct. 27-31—Halloween
Ghost Trolley & Barn. 6pm-9pm. Kid-friendly 30-minute horse-drawn
trolley ride and a fun spoof in the “haunted barn.” Horses and tour guides
are dressed in costume. Halloween-theme stories, songs & treats. Admission
charged. Departs at Market & Water streets. 910-251-8889.
Oct. 27—Victorian
All Hallow’s Eve Wake. 6pm-9pm. Enjoy hor d’oeuvres, live music,
costumed living historians, tarot card readings, mock amputations, and
more! Beer, wine, and specialty cocktails will be available for purchase.
Advance tickets required. Latimer House Museum, 126 S. 3rd St, Wilmington.
910-762-0492.
Oct. 28—Haunted
Trail. 7pm-9pm. A guided night hike along a spooky ½-mile
trail through woods and sand. Donations welcome. Fort Fisher State Rec.
Area, Loggerhead Rd., Kure Beach.
Oct. 28—ZombieFest
2017. 7pm. Indoor/outdoor block party for ages 21 +. Costume contest,
live music, horror movies, food. Advance tix required. Satellite Bar &
Lounge, 120 Greenfield St., Wilmington.
Oct. 28—Trick
or Trot. 8:30am. This family-fun costumed 5k race and 1 mile walk
is sure to get you into the Halloween spirit. Pre-registration required.
Admission charge. Greenfield Lake Park, Wilmington. 910-762-2511.
Oct. 28—Haunted
Basement. 6pm-8pm. Tour the library’s scary haunted basement. Parental
guidance; not for younger kids. Free. New Hanover Co. Library, 201 Chestnut
St., Wilmington.
Oct. 28—Kids’
Halloween Super Saturday Fun Time. 3pm. The Dock Street Kids present
a Halloween theatrical show featuring local history, mystery and guest
stars. Admission charged. TheatreNOW, 19 S. 10th St, Wilmington. 910-399-3669.
Stray off course and see
where the water takes you. Discover what makes Wilmington and its island
beaches such a ‘spirited’ Halloween destination. For a complete event calendar,
visit wilmingtonandbeaches.com/events.
For seasonal highlights and specials, visit wilmingtonandbeaches.com/things-to-do/seasonal-highlights.
Events may change without notice; please contact event organizers directly
to confirm details, especially when traveling great distances. To request
a free Official Visitors Guide, email visit@wilmingtonandbeaches.com
or call 866-266-9690.
Media Contact:
Wilmington
and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau
Connie
Nelson
Communications/PR
Director
910-332-8751
866-266-9690
ext. 120
The
New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority d/b/a Wilmington and Beaches
Convention and Visitors Bureau is the official destination marketing organization
of New Hanover County, North Carolina that stimulates economic development
through the promotion of travel and tourism. |