Haunted Attractions, Ghost Tours, and more
Oct. 24-26, 31
Old Salem Night Watchmen Tours. Embark on a spine-tingling journey through Old Salem as costumed guides lead guests on lantern-lit walks into some of the city's most haunted sites. This immersive tour is designed for ages 10+ and runs for 60 minutes. Tours depart every 15 minutes between 6:30 pm and 7:45 p.m. Tickets are $50.
Oct. 25-26
Wicked Whimsies. 7:30–10:30 p.m. Now in its 12th year, this Pfafftown-area spook trail features over 17 scenes and includes 70+ actors. Suitable for ages 12 and up. The trail also offers glow sticks to visitors, which can alert actors to tone down the scare if needed. Tickets start at $15.
YEAR-ROUND TOURS
- . Go for a haunted walking tour through Winston-Salem’s historic West End district. Tours are 90 minutes and require reservations. Tour groups can be as few as four or as large as 25. $20 adults, $15 children (7-12), free for kids 6 and under.
- Colonial Haunts Tour. Embark on an eerie tour through Old Salem on foot while learning about its eerie past on this tour by US Ghost Adventures. (NOTE: This tour doesn’t enter inside any of the buildings since all are privately owned.) Tours last one hour and require reservations: $20 adults, $12 children, free for ages 6 and under.
- Winston-Salem True Crime Tour. Explore the city's darker side on these downtown tours organized by Triangle Walking Tours. Tours are regularly held on Saturdays; custom and private tours are available anytime. Tours are $19 and last an hour.
NIGHTTIME CORN MAZES
For those wanting a less intense thrill, a dark walk through a corn maze is just the ticket. Several corn mazes in the area stay open late through Halloween and beyond. As a bonus, you can come before sunset to enjoy all the other onsite activities (hayrides, pumpkin patches, apple canons, carnival games, etc.) Here are three great nearby options:
- Jones Strawberry Farm. This popular corn maze in Pfafftown takes 30 to 45 minutes to complete. The maze is open until 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. (Flashlights required after dark.) Tickets are $12 and sold onsite.
- Armstrong Artisan Farm. Explore North Carolina's largest corn maze and enjoy some thrills along the way. The maze is open until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $15.
- Fryes Creek Family Farm. This new corn maze in the Arcadia area, just a few miles south of Winston-Salem, features multiple loops and dead ends. It’s open Fridays and Saturdays until 9 p.m.; last groups are admitted at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $5; free for kids 4 and under.
Family-Friendly Halloween Fun
Spooky movies, museums, trunk-or-treats, and more
Oct. 25
Movie Night at Crossnore: Hotel Transylvania. 6:30–9:30 p.m. A/perture Cinema hosts this free screening of the animated hit Hotel Transylvania on the campus of Crossnore Children's Home. Bring your own chairs, blankets, and picnics, or purchase dinner from food trucks on site. Pre-film fun starts at 6:30 p.m.; movie begins at 8.
Oct. 26
Boo! At Bethabara. 1–4:30 p.m. Historic Bethabara Park's annual Halloween celebration will feature seasonal activities, crafts, games, face painting, a scavenger hunt, ghost stories, and a spooky (but not too spooky) ghost walk through the historic grounds.
Oct. 26
Ghoul Moon Movie Night: The Witches. West Salem Arts Hotel and A/perture Cinema are teaming up for this free screening of the 1990 family/fantasy flick "The Witches" starring Anjelica Huston. Bring your own blanket/chairs and enjoy popcorn, candy, and other fun, plus beverages from West Salem Public House.
Oct. 26
Reynolda Pumpkin Patch Hayride. Part of the "Sprouts" programming at Reynolda Gardens, this event is for ages 2-9 accompanied by an adult. Enjoy a hayride through the Reynolda meadow and pick a pumpkin from the field for decorating. There will also be stories, singalongs, and other fun.
Oct. 27
Kaleideum's Ghoul Times. 12–5 p.m. Kaleideum is holding a costume party for kids with spooky crafts, face painting, a "haunted" hallway/obstacle course, food trucks, and trick-or-treating inside and outside the museum. Costumes welcome!
Oct. 27
. Come in costume and receive free admission to the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Ice Rink during this special Halloween celebration. Enjoy ice skating, candy giveaways, raffle drawings, and more. (NOTE: Admission is $10 for those not in costume.)
Oct. 31
Downtown Kernersville Trick or Treat. 6–8 p.m. Now in its 30th year, this free event closes off streets of downtown Kernersville for trick or treating as merchants open their doors and give out candy. Presented by the Kernersville Chamber of Commerce.
Ongoing through Dec. 6
Life After Death: Day of the Dead Exhibit. A fall tradition at Wake Forest’s Lam Museum of Anthropology, Día de Muertos (Life After Death) celebrates the “Day of the Dead” Mexican ritual when families remember their dead and honor the continuity of life. It’s highlighted by colorful artifacts, images, historical notes, and festive displays (including skeleton-themed folk art). Admission is free.
- VARIOUS DATES: Local Trunk or Treats. There are dozens of trunk or treat-themed events happening locally; too many to list. A few of the popular ones we know of include the Ardmore Trunk or Treat (Oct 27), Clemmons VFW Trunk or Treat (Oct 27), and the Mount Tabor Trunk or Treat (Oct30). You can find more local trunk or treats listedhere.
Halloween Fun for Grown-Ups
Dress to impress and join the fun at local bars, breweries, vineyards, and music venues.
Oct. 25
Halloween Bash at Hoots.7 p.m. A night of Halloween fun and music at the new Hoots music venue. There will be a costume contest and cover tunes from several bands. $10 admission.
Oct. 26
Day of the Dead Concert at Fiddlin' Fish. 12–11 p.m. Fiddlin' Fish Brewing is hosting this 7th annual event featuring live music, food, and vendors selling everything from tie-dyes to crafts to baked goods. Headlining the show is the famed Grateful Dead tribute band Cosmic Charlie. Admission is free.
Oct. 26
Halloween at Wise Man Brewing. 12–11 p.m. This all-day event at Wise Man features face painting, fire spinning, food trucks, and live music from Barefoot Modern (6-9 p.m.) Admission is free.
Oct. 26
Halloween Bash at Foothills. 6–10 p.m. Party band favorites Ears to the Ground highlight the Halloween festivities at Foothills Tasting Room. Come dressed in a costume for a chance to win prizes. Admission is free.
Oct. 26
WS Halloween Bar Crawl. 4–10 p.m. Enjoy exclusive drink and food specials at nearly a dozen bars in the downtown area during this 7th annual bar crawl and costume contest. Check in is at Bar La Ch.ngada starting at 4 p.m. An after-party begins at 10 p.m. at Euphoria. Tickets start at $10. See all the details and purchase tickets here.
Oct. 27
Tucker's Tap Yard Halloween Bash. 4–7 p.m. Tucker's Tap Yard, the city's only dog park bar, is holding a Halloween bash. Enjoy a doggie costume contest, photo booth, spooky treats, themed cocktails, and more. Admission is free; costume contest entries are $5, with proceeds going to the nonprofit Unchained Winston.
Oct. 27
Fall Fiesta at East of Texas. 1–8 p.m. This all-day event will feature a beer garden serving local brews, free sausage tastings, games with prizes, live music, and more. Admission is $10, and all proceeds will support WNC hurricane relief.
Oct. 27
Halloween Costume Contest at JLV. 1–4 p.m. Come in costume to compete for wine-themed prizes at Junius Lindsay Vineyard. (Bonus points for bringing your dog in a costume.) Outside food is welcome. Admission is free.
Oct. 29
Halloween Trivia and Doggie Costume Contest at Joymongers. 7:30 p.m. Enjoyed Halloween-themed trivia, drinks specials, and prizes at Joymongers Barrel Hall. The night ends with a doggy runway and costume contest. All dogs and humans are welcome to come in costume. Admission is free.
Oct. 31
Joloween at JOLO Vineyards. 12–8 p.m. Wicked fun meets fine wine at JOLO Vineyards in Pilot Mountain. Enjoy spooky décor and drinks, including JOLO's award-winning red blend Devils Hill. There will also be a costume contest for a $50 JOLO gift card. Admission to the event and contest is free.
Oct. 31
Halloween at Medaloni Cellars. 2–8 p.m. Medaloni Cellars in Lewisville is celebrating Halloween with a murder mystery game, candy for kids, and adult & kid costume contests. Admission is free.
Oct. 31
Zombie Prom Halloween Party at Foothills Brewpub. 7–11 p.m. Foothills downtown brewpub's zombie prom-themed event, "A Night to Dismember," features food/drink specials, live jazz-funk music from Red Umber, and more. Wear your finest Zombie Prom attire for a chance to win prizes. Admission is free.
Oct. 31
Hocus Pocus at The Dutch Light. 8 p.m. Enjoy spooky décor, Halloween-themed cocktails, and a screening of the 1993 classic Hocus Pocus at the Innovation Quarter's newest cocktail bar, The Dutch Light. Admission is free.
Oct. 31
Night Moods at SECCA: Halloween Edition. 7 p.m. NCMA Winston-Salem (formerly SECCA) is hosting a Halloween-themed dance party with live music from KKBB (a secret Halloween party band sure to fright and delight). Costumes encouraged! Doors open at 6 p.m. with music starting at 7. Tickets are $12.84
Oct. 31
Here Come the Mummies at The Ramkat. 8–11 p.m. Downtown's live music hub is hosting a special Halloween concert featuring Here Come the Mummies, an eight-piece funk-rock band of Egyptian mummies playing "terrifying funk from beyond the grave." (These "mummies" might or might not be Grammy-winning studio musicians who've supported Al Green, P-Funk, Mavis Staples, and headliners.) Tickets start at $37.50 with proceeds going to WNC relief.
Nov. 1
Halloween Celebration at ROAR. 9 p.m. Who says Halloween has to end in October? ROAR is hosting this day-after party with different themes and DJs on each floor (Harry Potter, Beetlejuice, and more.) Admission is $20.
Nov. 1
Halloween Party at Bar NOLA. 9 p.m.–2 a.m. Bar NOLA is celebrating the opening of its new deck bar with this day-after event. Enjoy music, themed decor, a costume contest, and complimentary beer, wine, well drinks, and Jell-O Shots. Admission is $40.
Nov. 1
Silent Disco Dance Party (Halloween Edition). 8 p.m. The Ramkat is hosting a SPOOKY Silent Disco Dance Party and costume contest featuring DJs Mauve Angeles, JSSE & No Request. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $16.
Stage Frights & Delights
Local live theatre shows for the spooky season
Oct. 24-Nov. 2
Evil Dead: The Musical. Camel City Playhouse presents this original work based on the Evil Dead and Army of Darkness film series. All shows are at 7 p.m. except Sunday matinees (2 p.m.) at Camel City Playhouse in the Downtown Arts District.
Oct. 24-27, Nov. 1-3
Little Shop of Horrors.The Little Theatre of Winston-Salem performs this cult-classic musical comedy at downtown’s Hanesbrands Theatre.All shows at 7:30 p.m. except Sunday matinees (2 p.m.)
Oct. 25-27
The Rocky Horror Show.The Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance will present this comedy/horror musical based on the 1975 cult classicat their downtown theatre on Sixth Street. All shows at 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 25-27, Nov. 1-3, 8-10
The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940.Stained Glass Playhouse of Winston-Salem is performing this 'whodunnit' Broadway hit set in the world of 1940s musicals.All shows are at 8 p.m. except Sunday matinees (3 p.m.) at Camel City Playhouse in the Downtown Arts District.