Halloween Happenings in Cattaraugus County
Halloween Happenings in Cattaraugus County
Many Spooktacular Events are Scheduled In/Around Ellicottville This Weekend & October 31st
Get your brooms ready to fly, put on the cauldrons, mix up those potions and make sure your pointy shoes are ready to hit the streets for some Halloween mayhem. There’s so many great events to hit up this year… let us guide you to a ghoulish good time!
Let’s start with some fun pre-Halloween happenings. Villaggio Restaurant (7 Monroe Street, Ellicottville) is the place to be for the whole family on Saturday, October 28th. Bring your kiddos inside Villaggio from 11:00am-1:00pm for free pumpkin carving and painting, co-sponsored by Pumpkinville and Aldrich Painting - free cider and donuts, too! Then later that evening, return for a street-side performance when Villaggio provides one of the most anticipated Halloween performances right outside their restaurant. If you’ve never watched the Fusion Dance Studio perform the famous “Thriller” dance, you NEED to carve out some time to come watch! Come early for the best view! Two showings: 8:30pm and 9:00pm.
The skate community (skateboard, roller skate, bike and scooter) is invited to visit Daily City Train (2 Bristol Lane, next to Tim & Bonnie’s) on Sunday, October 29th to celebrate Halloween all day long at their first ever Halloween Bash. $10 covers your park admission with Kids Skate from noon-4:00pm and Open Skate from 4:00-9:00pm. Halloween movies will be playing in the lounge all day and night, plenty of free candy to keep you energized, and for those looking for a challenge, Game of Skate will go down at 7:00pm. Costumes encouraged! Come shop and session! There will be prizes for Game of Skate and best costumes!
If you’re looking for something that will truly scare you, you are pretty much guaranteed the fright of your life when you sign up for the scariest hayride/haunted attraction in Western New York. Nightmare Hayrides (6319 Sommerville Valley Road, Ellicottville) will close out the Halloween season Oct. 27-29th from 7:30-9:30pm (when the last person will be admitted). Let’s break it down: the hayride is a 25-minute tractor-drawn hayride that will take you down a creepy, haunted path with live scary creatures. If you dare continue, you will enter into a haunted maze, twisting and turning over an acre of property/buildings. Picture long dark hallways filled with scary monsters greeting you at every turn, leading you to a haunted barn with a vortex tunnel. Forty minutes later, what’s left of you and your sanity will emerge, probably famished from all the frights and screams, rattled to the bone. This a great time to catch some energy at the cook shack and pull yourself together at the pavilion. Go if you dare. It’s open all Halloween weekend, but owners suggest you come on Friday or Sunday… Saturdays are always KILLER busy! No reservations needed. visit http://www.NightmareHayride.com for more information.
When the big day arrives, head to a BIG event at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (6360 Route 242, Ellicottville). Their Annual Trunk or Treat will take place October 31st from 6:00-8:00pm and surely will bring all the ghouls to the yard. Visit each of the trunks to grab some great treats before heading inside the church and to the haunted basement for the return of the Rotary Club of Ellicottville’s Halloween Youth Party. Taking place simultaneously with Trunk or Treat, kids can come down to meet the spooky creatures, play the free games, visit the craft table and enjoy some donuts and juice boxes. (Note: This is the first year since Covid hit that the Rotary party has occurred. Many thanks to all of the church members, volunteers and Rotary friends who are making this event possible for the children of our community). Don’t forget that regular Trick or Treating in Ellicottville is also happening from 5:00-8:00pm as well. So stop in before or after you’ve strolled the streets.
And don’t worry about cleaning up those pesky jack-o-lanterns. The Ellicottville Distillery (5462 Robbins Road, Ellicottville) is more than willing to “toss them out” at their Punkin’ Chunkin’ event on November 4th. Come watch as full size pumpkins are loaded into a full-size trebuchet and launched into the sky every hour, starting noon until dark. There will be live music provided by local favorites, The Hick Ups from 3:00-6:00pm, and food will be available to purchase form the 2 Buckaroos Food Truck during that time. It’s a perfect (and very entertaining) way to round out the Halloween season. Come see for yourself if pumpkins have wings!
There are many spooktacular activities taking place just outside of Ellicottville as well. Probably one of the creepiest, crawliest events coming our way is Trick-or-Treat at The Sanitarium (71 Wildwood Avenue, Salamanca) on Tuesday, October 31st. Come for a few scares and candy from 5:00-8:00pm, or for bigger, badder, braver folk, join in the ghost investigation from 8:00-11:55pm. This one will cost you $40… worth every penny if you want an inexpensive way to turn your hair white! Check out more fun events held at the Sanitarium by hopping on the Wildwood Sanitarium Restoration Project’s website, wildwoodsanitarium.com.
For adults 21 and over, E.A.R.S. Animal Rescue is holding its first Halloween Party at Holy Cross Athletic Club (Clinton Street, Salamanca) on Saturday, October 28th from 6:00-9:00pm. Wear a costume and prepare to be judged! (…for a prize, that is!) Group costumes will be judged as well. There will be a 50/50 drawing, door prizes, Chinese auction, music, and snacks (including dessert). Not to mention the best part - all proceeds from the event will go towards helping local animals find good homes. Visit their website at www.empirerescue.org for all the information you need about them and about adopting, including the application to begin the process.
The Salamanca Rail Museum’s (170 N. Main Street, Salamanca) 3rd annual Frights in the Freight House will welcome visitors on Saturday, October 28th from 5:00-8:00pm. Transformed into an eerie maze, haunters will be at the ready to scare you, giving all who enter a real fright! And it’s not just the freight house maze that brings in a crowd. A variety of entertainment can be enjoyed. There will be two face painting stations, a photo shoot setup for individuals and families to take pictures with a spooky background (props will be available), and a trunk or treat sponsored by local businesses, community members, and organizations. They’ll also have a couple of craft vendors that will be set up inside the museum selling jewelry, cookies, and Halloween decor. Kid-friendly Halloween themed movies are also on the schedule, featuring Coraline and the new Haunted Mansion, and The Wanderer Hut food truck will be on-site selling their delicious Polish food offerings like homemade farmer’s cheese pierogis and Polish sausage platters, while the museum will be providing donuts and apple cider. Admission to this year’s Fright in the Freight House is only $5 per person, with kids 5 and under admitted for free! Talk about an affordable way to get into the Halloween spirit!
There are several Trunk or Treats and other great Halloween events happening around the county. You know the drill… everyone dress up and go have some fun!
Trunk or Treat the the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds (501 Erie Street, Little Valley), hosted by Rock City CDJR: Friday, Oct. 27th from 6:00-7:30pm.
Trunk or Treat at the Olean YMCA (80 N. 4th Street, Allegany): Oct. 27 from 6:30-8:30pm. Free and open to the public!
Magro Speech Therapy will be hosting an amazing event called “Inclusive Trick-or-Treat” on Saturday, Oct. 28th at the Challenger Learning Center (182 E. Union Street, Suite 2, Allegany). This event provides a safe and simple opportunity for children who may have mobility issues, processing issues or sensitivity to bright flashing lights or loud noises, to participate in the fun-filled holiday without feeling out of place. Their event will take place inside the Center where the children will parade from sponsored table to sponsored table and will receive treats at each.
Pfeiffer Nature Center (1974 Lillibridge Road, Portville) is teaming up with Naturally Grounding to sponsor a truly unique and haunting good time. Their Night to Remember Witches Ball is set to take place Saturday, Oct. 28th from 7:00-11:00pm. Music, snacks, vendors, fun… all for $25. Costumes? Of course! Visit pfeiffernaturecenter.org for details.
Town and Country Disposal in Cattaraugus (1 Third Street, Cattaraugus) is having a Trash or Treat event on Oct. 31st from 5:30-8:00pm. Guests will receive free food by Jennifer Baker’s food truck, The Pig Out Place, and beverages. There will be prizes, activities and trunk or treat. Arrive at 4:30pm if you wish to decorate for trunk or treat. Children will be picking the winner for best trunk. The best decorated trunk will receive a $150 gift certificate for a full car detail from Bradley’s Auto Detailing in Cattaraugus. You won’t want to miss this one!
There you have it folks. The weekend before All Hallows is full of spooktacular fun just waiting for you to sink your fangs into. Have a howling good Halloween!
