COLUMBIA, S.C. — Tis the season for ghosts and ghouls, superheroes and super stars. If you need a place to take your little monster(s) -- or if you're an adult who never stopped dressing up for Halloween -- News19 has compiled a list of places to go, starting this evening.
And, oh! the horrors! While this list may not be complete, it will give you a sense of what's going on this 2023 goblin season.
Wednesday, Oct. 25
- Trunk or Treat at Robert Mills House & Gardens, 5:30-7 p.m., 1616 Blanding St. Columbia. Free event with games and activities for children, awards and prizes for best costumes and best decorated trunk
- "Why we like to be scared: The psychology of horror entertainment," a free presentation hosted by Dr. Jonathan Bassett, 6:05-6:50 p.m. at the Arts & Letters Lecture Hall, USC Sumter campus, 200 Miller Rd., Sumter
Thursday, Oct. 26
- Brookland Cayce High School trunk or treat, 5-6:30 p.m. at 1300 State St., Cayce. Student organizations, faculty and staff, and other volunteers will be handing out candy, and costumes are encouraged at this free event.
- A Fall Celebration at Richland Library Southeast, 5:30-7:30 p.m. at 7421 Garners Ferry Rd, Columbia
- Chapin's Fall Night Out, 6-8 p.m., Chapin Town Hall, 157 Columbia Ave., Chapin. Hosted by first responders from Chapin Police, Lexington County Sheriff's Department, Lexington County Fire, and Richland County Sheriff's Department, this free event features activities for the whole family, including face painting, photo opportunities, and more.
- Haunted History Halloween at Lexington County Museum, 231 Fox St., Lexington. Take a step back into the haunted history of Lexington County during a guided tour filled with frights and surprises around every corner. Walking tours are scheduled for 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 p.m.; tickets $6/adult, $3/child. To make a reservation, call the Lexington County Museum at 803-359-8369 or email the museum at JRFennell@lex-co.com. Payment will be taken at the event.
- Drag Bingo at Columbia Museum of Art, 7-9 p.m., 1515 Main St., Columbia. In celebration of Lee Alexander McQueen & Ann Ray: Rendez-Vous , get ready to strike a pose at the return of Drag Bingo, hosted by drag queen extraordinaire Patti O'Furniture. Prizes for bingo winners as well as those dressed to impress on the runway. Ages 18 and up. Cash bar featuring fashion-forward cocktails and more. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. Galleries open until 8:00 p.m. Individual tickets: $35 / 28 for members. 4-top table: $140 / $112 for members. 6-top table: $210 / $168 for members.
Friday, Oct. 27
- Columbia Parks & Recreation invites you to free family friendly events featuring ghoulish games and more at these locations throughout the city:
- Emily Douglas Park Fall Festival, 4-5:30 p.m., 2500 Wheat St.
- Sims Chop Shop Party, 4-5:30 p.m., 3500 Duncan St.
- Greenview Autumn Festival, 5-7 p.m., 6700 David St.
- Hyatt Park Construction Massacre, 6-7:30 p.m., Leroy Moss Center/Hyatt Park, 950 Jackson Ave.
- Lexington Elementary School's production of Kid Frankenstein begins at 6 p.m. at 116 Azalea Dr., Lexington. Free admission
- Fright Night & Laser Lights at South Carolina State Museum, 301 Gervais St., Columbia. Guests are invited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd's iconic album, Dark Side of the Moon, and see their favorite songs from the popular series, Stranger Things, set to a stunning display of lasers within the museum's planetarium. This special Halloween event also features a local food truck and a cash bar with Columbia Craft beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase. Dark Side of the Moon: 6:30 p.m. and 8:50 p.m.; Laser Stranger Things: 7:40 p.m. and 10 p.m.. Tickets pricing is per person per show. (Advance online ticket purchase is strongly recommended.) Gen. Public: $10, Members: $8
- Airport High School Trick or Treat Lane, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at 1315 Boston Ave, West Columbia. Student organizations, faculty and staff, and other volunteers will be handing out candy, and costumes are encouraged at this free event.
- Haunted History Halloween at Lexington County Museum, 231 Fox St., Lexington. Take a step back into the haunted history of Lexington County during a guided tour filled with frights and surprises around every corner. Walking tours are scheduled for 7:00, 8:00, and 9:00 p.m.; tickets $6/adult, $3/child. To make a reservation, call the Lexington County Museum at 803-359-8369 or email the museum at JRFennell@lex-co.com. Payment will be taken at the event.
Saturday, Oct. 28
- Fall Community Day at Harmon Park, 9 a.m. to dusk at Chestnut Street, Orangeburg. annual Family Fun Day for The Ronnie Carr Foundation for Youth Development features food, games, basketball competition and more.
- Flight Adventure Park Monster Mash, 10 a.m. to noon, two locations -- 741 Fashion Dr. in Sandhill and 1019 Broad Stone Rd., Irmo -- featuring safe trick-or-treating, photo opportunities with characters, and all Flight attractions
- Nightmare In Elmwood 5K & Kids Fun Run, Village Church Park Street, 2204 Park Street, Elmwood Park neighborhood in Columbia. 5K starts at 10 a.m., Kids Fun Run (ages 12 and under) starts at 11 a.m. Proceeds from the event will go toward supporting the Historic Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association's initiatives to enhance and improve the neighborhood. Sign up for the races here.
- Fall Festival to benefit Camp Cole, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary School
- Halloween Comic Fest at Scratch N' Spin, noon-2 p.m., 513 12th St., West Columbia. Free comics (limit 3 per person), photo opportunity with Twisty the Clown & Michael Myers, guest artists Heel Carmichael & Logan Jones of Roc Bottom Studios (Strong Style), Corey Davis ("Roc Bottom" Studios Founder), Steven Prouse and Louis Bright-Raven. Costume contest for $100 store gift card.
- Halloween Fun Fest, noon-2 p.m., Katheryn M. Bellfield Booker Washington Heights Cultural Art Center 2611 Grant St., hosted by Columbia Parks & Recreation
- Five Points Trick or Treat for all ages, 2-4 p.m. DJ Voodoo Child will be spinning spooky tunes at the Five Points Fountain, Pluck-A-Pumpkin contest, Spooky Story Time at All Good Books, candy stops and interactive experiences. Big "Kid" Lucky Lantern Scavenger Hunt for ages 18 and over, winner will receive a pair of general admission tickets for St Pats in Five Points 2024.
- Harbison Community Center Trick or Treat Trail, 2-4 p.m., 95 Woodcross Dr, Columbia. Bring your little ghosts and ghouls to trick-or-treats in a safe and controlled environment. Wear your best costume contest, and race to the finish in our mummy wrap race.
- Crosswind Farm's Halloween event, 2-5 p.m., 799 Target Rd. Holly Hill. Petting zoo, horse rides, train rides, music, BBQ food truck, flower truck, tons of games, candy, and MORE!! $8 per child. ALL children over 1 year are required to pay for an armband. Adults are FREE with at least 1 paying child!
- Auto Zone Trunk or Treat Car Show, 3-7 p.m., 1313 Bush River Rd, Columbia. a perfect way to spend the weekend in the Halloween spirit with family and friends. All proceeds of the car show will go to the Humane Society. If you're looking to enter the show, be sure to bring an in-kind donation for the Humane Society along with the entry fee! Judging starts at 6 p.m.
- Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party, 12:30-4:30 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena. The first-ever Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live Glow Party brings audiences the only opportunity to see real-life versions of the famous Hot Wheels monster truck toys in the DARK! Mega Wrex, Tiger Shark, Boneshaker, Bigfoot and more, plus the all-new Gunkster, will light up the floor in outrageous monster trucks competitions and battles. Event performances will also feature a dazzling dance party, spectacular laser light shows and Hot Wheels toy giveaways.
- Rosewood Halloween Parade, 4 p.m. at Rosewood Park, 901 S Holly St., Columbia. Here's a chance for kiddos to show off their costumes, then enjoy a family-friendly dance party after the parade. Bring a lawn chair, some musical instruments/noise-makers, and set up along the path to cheer on our community's most resilient residents, our kiddos. Attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable items to donate to the Gamecock Pantry at USC.
- Cayce Tales on the Trails, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Thomas Newman Boat Landing, Granby Landing Road, Cayce. The Cayce Public Safety Foundation will be partnering with Cayce Police and Cayce Fire Departments for a family-friendly event. There will be storytelling which will include Cayce Legends, food, music, movie, and Trunk-or-Treat
Sunday, Oct. 29
- Harry Potter Beer & Chocolate Pairing, 2 p.m. at River Rat Brewery, 1231 Shop Rd., Columbia. Whether you're a Gryffindor, a Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw or a Slytherin, there's something for everybody at this one. Harry Potter themed costumes are encouraged, there will be an area for photos! Tickets are $25.
- Woofstock, 1-6 p.m. at Icehouse Amphitheater, 107 W Main, Lexington, sponsored by Humane Society of Columbia and Icehouse Amphitheater. Dress up your pet for a Halloween costume contest and maybe even find your new furry friend among the adoptable dogs available on-site. Shop local vendors, grab a cold beer, bites from local food trucks, and listen to live music. There will be a silent auction filled with amazing items to benefit animals in need.
- Halloween at Hogwarts, 3 p.m. Koger Center for the Arts. The Koger Center is transformed into that famous school of witchcraft and wizardry. Enjoy a spooktacular program of hair-raising Hollywood favorites and plenty of John Williams' works from the Harry Potter films, loads of tricks and treats.
- Trunk or Treat Carnival, 3-5 p.m. at Cherokee Presbyterian Church, 3622 Augusta Hwy., Gilbert. An afternoon of fall fun complete with trunks of candy, a hayride, carnival foods and more!
- Living Water Christian Outreach Center Church 2023 Harvest Festival, 3-6 p.m., 2229 Decker Boulevard, Columbia. Free admission and games, bouncy houses, entertainment. Snow cones and their famous candy scramble.
- WeCo River District Halloween Trunk or Treat, 4-6 p.m., Moseley Funeral & Cremation Service, 914 Meeting St., West Columbia. Free admission, candy, games, prizes for best costume and best trunk
- Washington Street United Methodist Church Fall Fest, 4-6 p.m., 1401 Washington St., Columbia. This family-friendly event features a bounce house, pumpkin carving table, games and prizes, face painting, and great decorated trunks for a trunk or treat with lots of candy to distribute, along with a few surprises!
Monday, Oct. 30
- Columbia Parks & Recreation invites you to free family friendly events featuring ghoulish games and more at these locations throughout the city:
- Woodland Park, 6500 Olde Knight Parkway, 3– 6 p.m.
- Fall Festival – Melrose Park, 1500 Fairview Road, 4–5:30 p.m.
- Fall Festival Party – South Edisto Park, 1914 Wiley Street, 4–5:30 p.m.
- Heathwood Haunted Scavenger Quest – Heathwood Park, 800 Abelia Road, 4-5:30 p.m.
- Fall Fest – Pinehurst Park, 2300 Pinehurst Road, 5–7 p.m.
- Entering the Valley – Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 2300 Greene Street, 6– 8 p.m.
- Kids Day Before Spooky Party – Busby Street Community Center, 1735 Busby Street 6–8 p.m.
- Lorick Haunted Harvest – Lorick Park, 1600 Lorick Avenue, 6– 8p.m.
Halloween, Tuesday, Oct 31
- "Not-So-Spooky" Halloween Stroll through Columbia's Downtown Main Street, 2-5 p.m.. Starting point is Richland Library Main at 1431 Assembly St. The Columbia Police Department and the City Center Partnership Yellow Shirts will be helping families cross streets and stay safe on the stroll. Wear your favorite costumes at this family friendly event as you trick-or-treat at participating businesses including:
- Richland Library | 1431 Assembly Street
- Columbia Arts Center | 1227 Taylor Street
- Uptown Gifts|1204 Main Street
- Columbia Museum of Art |1511 Main Street
- Something Special Florist & Gifts |1546 Main Street
- Sylvan's Jewelers|1500 Main Street
- Miss Cocky Boutique|1450 Main Street
- Carolina Hair Studios|1537 Main Street Suite A
- East Bay Deli|1426 Main Street
- Nickelodeon Theatre|1607 Main Street
- Ophidian Tattoo|1332 Main Street (In the Arcade)
- Doctors Care|1538 Main Street
- Something Special Florist & Gifts|1546 Main Street
- Main Street Living Apartment Home|1604 Main Street
