Carriage tours are sold out, but walking tickets remain for Friday’s finale of the annual CAPA fundraiser, which has drawn nearly 3,000 participants this year
By Delayna Earley
The Island News
BEAUFORT, S.C. – Beaufort’s ghosts have one more night to tell their stories.
The 32nd annual Beaufort Ghost Tours will wrap up Friday, Oct. 30, offering one final opportunity to explore the city’s haunted history while supporting the Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA).
Carriage tours have sold out for the final evening, but tickets remain available for walking tours through downtown Beaufort’s Historic District.
According to Jessie Chapman, Director of Development with CAPA, nearly 3,000 people have participated in this year’s tours, despite the event operating for eight nights instead of its usual nine.
“The community has really come out to support us,” Chapman said. “And we have lots of volunteers, plus lots of people on the tours. It’s been a great year.”
Presented with the help of the Exchange Club of Beaufort, the annual Halloween tradition features costumed storytellers who bring centuries of local legends, mysterious sightings and ghostly encounters to life along the city’s moss-draped streets.
This year’s tours also introduced Harriet Tubman as part of the historical experience, joining Robert Smalls, who was added to the event several years ago.
“We really wanted to add her and we were able to do that this year,” Chapman said.
Unlike some of the other characters featured along the route, the portrayal of Tubman does not include a speaking role. Instead, her presence recognizes her historical significance to the Beaufort area.
The tours also feature stories associated with some of Beaufort’s best-known historic landmarks, including The Castle, the mysterious Land’s End Light and other local legends.
Chapman said the event typically attracts more than 3,000 participants over nine nights, making this year’s attendance particularly encouraging given the shorter schedule.
The fundraiser, now in its 32nd year, typically raises between $40,000 and $50,000 annually for CAPA.
The money supports the organization’s programs, including the Open Arms Children’s Home, foster family recruitment and training, parenting education, elementary school outreach and safe sleep education through its Cribs for Kids program.
Chapman said the organization relies on a combination of state funding, grants, private donations, United Way support and fundraising events to maintain its services.
The Ghost Tours provide an important source of funding while also bringing the community together in support of CAPA’s mission.
More than 200 volunteers participate in the event, with some helping for a single evening and others returning throughout the season. Volunteers range from teenagers and younger participants to adults, with many families taking part together.
Most provide their own costumes and makeup, although CAPA maintains a small supply to supplement what volunteers bring.
“We had perfect weather and perfect support,” Chapman said. “The community really showed up for us, whether that was through sponsoring, volunteering, or being on the tours.”
Chapman also credited the Exchange Club of Beaufort, Southurn Rose Buggy Tours and residents of The Point neighborhood for helping make the annual event possible.
The carriage company prepares its horses and practices ahead of the tours, while neighborhood residents accommodate the event and often participate themselves.
Chapman said the tours have developed a loyal following, with groups from communities including Sun City and Hampton Lake returning year after year. Some begin making reservations as early as April, months before tickets officially go on sale in September.
The event also continues to attract new volunteers, sometimes from among the people who have just experienced a tour.
“Every year someone goes on the tour and I get a call the next day and they say, ‘Can I volunteer?'” Chapman said.
For those hoping to participate in this year’s final evening, walking tours depart from Cannon Park, across from 611 Bay St., beginning at 7 p.m., with additional departures every 20 minutes.
Each narrated tour lasts approximately one hour, and tickets cost $20 per person. The 7 p.m. tour is stroller- and pet-friendly.
Although the horse-drawn carriage tours are sold out, walking tour tickets remain available.
Tickets and additional information are available at www.capabeaufort.org or by calling 843-524-4678.
Friday marks the final opportunity to experience one of Beaufort’s longest-running Halloween traditions before the city’s ghosts retreat into the shadows for another year.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.