If Halloween is your favorite holiday, you’re in luck, because there are loads of spooky activities planned in the Beaufort area leading up to All Hallows’ Eve.
Here are some of the opportunities you’ll have to stockpile sugary snacks or get your frightful fix:
• Children and their families are invited to attend Trunk or Treat from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25, at Helena Place Senior Living in Port Royal. Dress to impress for Halloween and collect candy and other treats. Creepy cookies and petrifying punch will be served. Vote for your favorite Halloween costume and coordinating trunk. All who attend are guaranteed to have a boo-tiful time. The event is free and open to the public. In the event of inclement weather, the party will be moved inside. Helena Place is located at 1624 Paris Avenue in the historic Old Village in the Town of Port Royal (directly across the street from the Port Royal Post Office). Senior Citizens who would like to participate should call 843-252-3001, or email rewing@enlivant.com.
• Put on your costumes for treats, games, and spooky lighthouse climbs at the Hunting Island State Park Trunk or Treat event from 6-9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 26. Children can enjoy trick or treating in a fun and safe environment in the lighthouse parking lot and then create a sand art masterpiece ($5 per person) or climb the historic Hunting Island Lighthouse after dark ($2 per person; must be 44 inches tall).
• Flashback Gear, 802 Bay Street, will host Halloween ComicFest from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27. Halloween ComicFest is an annual event where participating local comic shops celebrate the season by giving away free comics to fans. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce kids, friends, and family to the many reasons why comics are great.
• Kids of all ages are welcome and parents are encouraged to accompany them to Downtown Beaufort for the annual Downtown Trick-O-Treat Halloween Party from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27. Enjoy an afternoon of games, music, costume parades and candy. Parents and children are invited to come to Henry C. Chambers Waterfront park in costume and spend time with friends and neighbors in an old-fashion Trick-O-Treat celebration. Open and free to the public.
• Party Port Royal style with scarecrows, beer, food, and fun for everyone at the fifth annual OktoPRfest from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, on Paris Avenue. The event will feature Bikers against Bullies, the Classic Cars and Trucks of Beaufort, craft vendors, a stage with live entertainment, a Larew Dance Centre performance, Tux the Clown, face painting, a kids’ zone, food vendors, and as always, the OktoPRfest craft beer garden. Each food vendor will have at least one German-inspired meal for purchase. Live entertainment includes performances by Levon Stevens and Louise Spencer, The RK’s, and The Brewer Band.
• The Lowcountry Master Gardeners are again celebrating Halloween with scarecrows. Perfect for harvest time, scarecrows have provided chemical-free crop protection since ancient times. But how creative can you get with your scarecrow? Show off your scarecrow skills by entering one of three categories — 1. Make and display a scarecrow; 2. Wear a scarecrow costume; 3. Draw a scarecrow (10 and under) — at the Oct. 27 edition of the Port Royal Farmers Market. Register by 9:30 a.m. with prizes handed out at 11:30 a.m. Contact Kim at KimberlyAnnMcFann@me.com for more information.
• Ghostly spirits have taken over downtown Beaufort while the Exchange Club hosts its 26th annual Ghost Tours. Sign up now to take a carriage ride or walking tour through Beaufort’s Historic District while listening to haunting tales of the area. Tours last about an hour and will run in the evenings of Oct. 26-28, and 30. All proceeds benefit the Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA) of Beaufort County. Some of Beaufort’s oldest residents have shared stories from their childhood and the Exchange Club of Beaufort brings these stories to life each October. Costumed storytellers spellbind tour participants with the ghostly happenings while traveling the Spanish moss-lined streets of downtown. The oldest ghost in America is said to live in “The Castle,” a 19th century renovated estate located on the river in downtown Beaufort. Beware, ghostly visions have been known to appear on past tours. Walking tour tickets are $12 for all ages and carriage tours are $12 for children ages 3-11 and $22 for adults. All children must be accompanied by an adult. A pet- and stroller-friendly walking tour leaves each night at 7 p.m. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made online at www.capabeaufort.org or by calling 843-52-GHOST.
