A Ghoulish Good Time

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 are so many great events to attend this year… let us guide you to a ghoulish good time!

Let’s start with some fun pre-Halloween happenings. The skating community (skateboard, roller skate, BMX and scooter) is invited to come play at Daily City Train (2 Bristol Lane, next to Tim & Bonnie’s) on Friday, October 25th to celebrate an evening of park at their 2nd Annual Halloween Bash. Your $10 entry includes open skate from 5:00-9:00pm, Halloween movies in the lounge, plenty of candy and other sweet treats 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. 25-27th 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 excursion 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 your breath at the cook shack and pull yourself together at the pavilion. Go if you dare. No reservations needed. visit nightmarehayride.com for more information.

If you feel the need to escape, register for the Ellicottville Memorial Library’s (6499 Maples Road) 3rd annual “Escape the Haunted Library” - a fun, FREE, all ages, accessible escape room activity. You can try it on your own or with a team of 5 or less. You have 20 minutes to escape the spooky library for a prize. Escape Room time slots are available October 25th and 26th; reservations are required and can be made by calling 716-699-2842.

One of the most anticipated Halloween events is at Villaggio (7 Monroe Street, Ellicottville) on Saturday, October 26th. Bring your kiddos inside the restaurant from 11:00am-2:00pm for free pumpkin carving and painting, co-sponsored by Aldrich Painting. There will be complimentary cider and donuts too! Return later that evening 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! There will be two showings: 8:00pm and 10:00pm.

When the big day arrives, head to an even BIGGER event at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (6360 Route 242, Ellicottville). Their Annual Trunk or Treat will take place October 31st from 5:00-7:00pm, 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 Rotary Club of Ellicottville’s Youth Halloween Party. Taking place simultaneously with Trunk or Treat, kids can come down to meet the spooky creatures, play free games, visit the craft table, and enjoy some donuts and juice boxes. Don’t forget that regular Trick or Treating in Ellicottville is also happening from 5:00-7:00pm on Oct. 31st. So stop in before or after you’ve strolled the streets.

For the very first year, you can head down to the Great Valley Fire Company (6035 Depot Street, Great Valley) for their new “Truck or Treat” event, also planned for October 31st from 5:00-7:00pm. Bring your costumed kiddos out to see the trucks and enjoy the free candy.

Don’t worry about cleaning up those pesky jack-o-lanterns after the holiday. The Ellicottville Distillery (5462 Robbins Road, Ellicottville) is more than willing to “toss them out” at their Punkin’ Chunkin’ event on November 2nd. Come watch as full size pumpkins are loaded into a full-size trebuchet and launched into the sky every hour, starting at noon and going 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 from the on-site food truck during that time. (Keep an eye on the Distillery’s Facebook for more details as they become available.) 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 the Halloween Public Paranormal Investigation at The Sanitarium (71 Wildwood Avenue, Salamanca) on October 27th. Wildwood Sanitarium Presents hosts this exclusive Overnight Ghost hunt starting at 8:00pm, and it will run until midnight. Your all-inclusive experience will include a tour of the grounds and inside the historic building. Listen to the history and hear some stories about the location. Get a chance to uuse some familiar ghost hunting equipment to see if you can connect with the other side. If you have your own ghost hunting equipment, you’re welcome to bring it. 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 at wildwoodsanitarium.com.

The Seneca-Iroquois National Museum (82 West Hetzel Street, Salamanca, NY) is hosting a fun-filled October Festival this Saturday, October 19th from 4:00-8:00pm. The evening will feature hayrides, a smoke dance contest, trunk or treat for the kids, a haunted hallway to brave, free donuts, cider, and scary stories around the fire.

For adults 21 and over, Empire Animal Rescue Society (E.A.R.S) is holding its second Annual Halloween Party at Holy Cross Athletic Club (Clinton Street, Salamanca) on Saturday, October 26th from 6:00-10:00pm. 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.

Another adult-only event is being hosted by the Little Valley Fire Department (200 Rock City Road, Little Valley, NY). Get your spooky on at the first “Adult Halloween Horror Night Dinner & Dance” on Friday, October 25th from 6:30pm-midnight. Tickets are $25 at the door or $5 just for the dance. You can indulge in a chilling buffet dinner and then dance the night away at their frightfully fun Halloween event. Cash bar will be available and there will be a costume contest, so be sure to dress to impress in your scariest horror-themed costume for a chance to win some amazing prizes. Don’t miss out on a night of ghoulish fun! Tickets can be purchased at the Village Hall or Little Valley Library in advance.

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!

7th Annual Trunk or Treat at the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds (501 Erie Street, Little Valley), hosted by Rock City CDJR: Friday, Oct. 25th from 6:00-7:30pm. Each year local businesses and organizations band together to create this night, free of charge, for the community.

Village of Franklinville Trunk or Treat 2024 (Park Square, Franklinville, NY) on Oct. 27th. This is a FREE event and children of all ages are welcome! Dress up in costume and bring a bag or Halloween bucket to collect your candy and goodies while trunk or treating! There will also be children's activities, juice and donuts and more! This event will take place rain or shine (severe weather may require postponing or cancellation of the event.)

SRNC Trunk or Treat (451 Broad Street, Salamanca, NY), is on October 26th from 1:00-4:00pm. Come spend the day at the Salamanca Rehabilitation and Nursing Center. Make sure to wear your best costume and bring a bag big enough for all the candy.

Magro Speech Therapy will be hosting their 2nd annual “Inclusive Trick-or-Treat” on Sunday, Oct. 27th at the Richter Center (St. Bonaventure University, Allegany, NY). 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 from 12:00-2:00pm, where the children will parade from sponsored table to sponsored table and will receive treats at each. You must register in advance at magrospeechtherapy.com.

Town and Country Disposal in Cattaraugus (1 Third Street, Cattaraugus, NY) is having their 2nd annual Trash or Treat event on Oct. 26th from 5:00-9:00pm. The first 250 kids will receive a FREE 2nd annual Trash or Treat Bucket. All guests will receive free pizza and subs from Perky’s Market. There will be prizes, activities, and a 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. They are also partnering with the Women’s Auxiliary and doing a 50/50 raffle for the Christmas Angels program. You won’t want to miss this one!

There you have it peeps, the days leading up to All Hollows are full of “creeptastic” fun and Halloween is guaranteed to be one scary and memorable evening. Don’t forget to tag #evlnow in all your great photos from the spooky weekend!

A Ghoulish Good Time

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