By Emma Groeneveld & Jeff Mijo
Halloween is just around the corner, and it’s ready to jump out and scare the pants clean off of you! If you’re tired of midterms, classes, and assignments, and are just looking for a good scare, here is a big list of Halloween events to get your hair standing on end and to wrench some truly bloodcurdling screams out of your very soul! Or perhaps to give you a nice romp through a pumpkin patch or evening of theatre, if horror isn’t for you.
Reaper’s Haunted Attraction:
If you are wishing to have a quick, but terrifying heart attack this October, Reaper’s haunted house is the place for you! While the haunt is truly terrifying, it is not a long one as there is only one house and a medium sized maze. It might be this way as being in this attraction for longer than 40 minutes would give any sane person a heart attack! It’s that scary!
Tickets cost $11 each for the maze or haunted house, and both are $20, or $19 with a non-perishable food item. Open from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. most nights and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Halloween.
The Zombie Syndrome Theatre:
Virtual Theatre has created a play that includes all of Granville Island, and further, where the audience are also part of the play. The story explains that zombies have taken over, and your team of special agents must find clues to stop the zombie apocalypse, all while zombies chase you around the city. A smartphone app is used to solve puzzles and give clues to find the next location of your journey.
The event takes place from October 4 to 31 on Granville Island. Tickets cost $48.99, and smartphones are required.
Grave Tales: This haunted attraction brings a group of victims through the well-known graveyard in the centre of Fort Langley. Expert storytellers whisk you away into the night and tell creepy stories that send shivers down your spine, all while you walk through the large, dark, and foggy grounds. This event is so scary that there are two separate attractions, one for youth and another that is 17+.
Adult Grave Tales (ages 17+ only): $17.10 plus service fee. October 14 to 16 and 19 to 30, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m or 8:00 to 10:00 p.m.
The Chilliwack Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch:
A staple of any October event, the corn maze and pumpkin patch is a great way to get into the Halloween mood without having your pants scared off. With a giant 12-acre maze and an incredible amount of pumpkins to choose from the farm is great for spending time with family, friends, or that special cutie in your life.
Open Thursday: 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday: 11:00 a.m, to 6:00 p.m. Admission is $11 (plus tax).
Maan Farms Haunted Corn Maze:
Not feeling up for driving far out this Halloween? No worries! The farm is just down the road from our very own UFV. Maan Farms has its very own haunted maze that will leave you shaking in fear and jumping at the sight of corn from then on. Filled with clowns, chainsaw wielding murders, and Leatherface (all actors … hopefully), the Maan Farms haunted corn maze is perfect for a spooky October’s eve.
Open October 7 to 31, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. (Last call 9:30 p.m.) Cost is $23.79 per person.
UFV Halloween Bash 2016:
On October 28, break out your costume and dance the night away at the UFV Circle K club’s massive Halloween party. Featuring live music from The PropheC, followed by a mix of hip-hop, R&B, EDM, and Bhangra from DJ Hark. Open only to students and their guests, the party kicks off at 7:00 p.m. in the Student Union Building (SUB). The event also serves as a fundraiser, with some of the proceeds from ticket sales going toward the Circle K District Water Project.
Tickets: $25 at the Student Union Society (SUS) office, or $35 at the door (if available). Student ID required to buy or enter.
En Route heads to Fright Nights:
On October 30, UFV’s travel club is embarking on a journey to the PNE’s Fright Nights. With seven haunted houses, ranging from asylums to doll factories, there will be no shortage of terrifying creatures to jump out at you. Fifteen PNE favourite rides will also be running if you prefer the fear of being flung through the air to the anxiety of slinking through haunted mansions, with most included in the price of admission. The day will kick off with both Diwali and Halloween activities at 4:30 p.m. in U-House, followed by a drive to Vancouver to enjoy the festival of all things freaky and frightening.
Cost: $30. Preregistration is required — go to the En Route UFV Facebook page for details.
UFV CreWri’s Spooky Readings:
Attention all fans of scary stories, frightening fiction, and petrifying poetry! UFV’s creative writing club will kick off your Halloween right, with readings of their most haunting writing on the morning of the 31st. The event is open to all students, and you are invited to join the club and submit your own work for reading before October 29 by contacting crewriufv@gmail.com.
This free event begins at 11:00 a.m. in the Student Union Building’s Great Hall.
UFV International Halloween Party:
Also on the 31st, UFV International is hosting their own Halloween party. Drop in for some spooky fun and make a mask or decorate some appropriately terrifying cookies. There will also be free pizza for anyone brave enough to show up in costume!
This free event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Global Lounge (B233).
Day of the Dead Movie Night:
Celebrate the Day of the Dead on November 1 with UFV’s Latin American club! The event will include a traditional altar, and begins with a short presentation on the meaning and origin of DÃa de Muertos. After that, there will be a screening of 2014’s ***The Book of Life, an animated film about a bullfighter’s adventure in the afterlife.
This free event begins at 6:00 p.m. in the Global Lounge (B223).
Jeff was The Cascade's Editor in Chief for the latter half of 2022, having previously served as Digital Media Manager, Culture & Events Editor, and Opinion Editor. One time he held all three of those positions for a month, and he's not sure how he survived that. He started at The Cascade in 2016.