October is arguably the spookiest month of the year. All Hallows Eve — perhaps better known as Halloween — is celebrated on the last day of October, and the entire month is dedicated to preparing for the ghouls and freakish good times.
Qnotes has created a Halloween-themed events guide about fun activities in North Carolina so you can celebrate the spookiest time of the year properly.
In Charlottte
Carowinds hosts an over month-long scare and adrenaline-filled event — appropriately named SCarowinds — full of actors dressed as chainsaw-wielding clowns, killer ballerinas and more. SCarowinds started on September 15 and will run until October 29 and has been dubbed the “the Carolinas’ premier Halloween event.” This year introduced the Procession of Nightmares parade, which is said to make every “deepest, darkest dream” a reality. Other activities in SCarowinds include haunted mazes, scare zones filled with masked marauders and live entertainment. Carowinds recommends visitors be 13 and older to fully enjoy SCarowinds.
The 2023 Official Halloween Bar Crawl hosted by Bar Crawl LIVE! Is returning from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. on October 28. Several bars and clubs in Uptown are participating in this event, including Tattooz N’ Booz Nightclub, Encore Nightclub, Local Bar, XoXo Lounge N’ Nightclub, Istanbul Lounge, Prohibition Nightclub and Hive Nightclub. Each ticket includes a wristband allowing the guest to receive free entry to the best bars, up to 50 percent off well drinks, shots and beers as well as up to 20 percent off select food items.
Charlotte’s free to attend Annual Halloween Festival starts at 1 p.m. at 8830 East W.T. Harris Blvd. The event’s activities include a costume contest, a trick-or-treat village, live entertainment, a kids zone, a pumpkin painting booth as well as other fun activities.
In the Triangle
Chapel Hill takes Halloween to the street for its annual Halloween on Franklin festival on October 31. Every Halloween, the town of Chapel Hill closes down Franklin Street to welcome tens of thousands of visitors and residents, clad in a wide array of costumes, for the spooky celebration. The tradition was started by a joint effort between Chapel Hill residents and UNC-Chapel Hill students in the 1980s. The event has grown significantly since its beginnings, drawing upwards of 50,000 people to the area.
The North Carolina Symphony will hold its annual Halloween Spooktacular concert at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. on October 28 at Meymandi Concert Hall. The orchestra will play some famous music scores during the two Saturday concerts, including “E.T.,” “Jurassic Park,” and “Indiana Jones,” among others. There will also be a costume contest for attendees.
Come do the Time Warp at Carolina Theatre in Durham during the last weekend in October when Rocky Horror Picture Show takes to the screen. The annual showing has become a tradition where thousands of people come clad in fishnets, garters and flashy ensembles to sing along to various songs from the treasured cult classic. The musical opens up with fiances Brad and Janet, who find themselves lost in a rainstorm when they encounter a spooky castle. When they take refuge in the fortress, they are met by a wacky array of characters, including a mad scientist from “Transsexual, Transylvania.”
In Wilmington
Wilmington is notorious for being one of the most haunted cities in the South, so naturally, it’s home to one of the spookiest ghost tours in North Carolina. Haunted Wilmington has been recognized nationally and featured on various television specials from TLC, Discovery, History and the Travel channels. Guests will trek through historic Wilmington on a 90-minute-long walking tour, where guides will share information about some of the seaside city’s most haunted attractions.