Halloween Events Bring Fun and Fright to Pleasanton

With the season at the cusp of summer and fall, we begin the transition into a flurry of warm colors, scarves, and hot chocolate. Alongside the autumn season comes the long-time celebrated holiday: Halloween. Kids find themselves enthused at the idea of feasting on candy. On the other hand, teens have fewer options figuring out what activities to engage themselves in if they choose not to participate in the annual candy-collecting fest. Below are a few suggestions to help teens to get in the festive mood of fun and fright as well.

The Ghost Walk is a walking, family-friendly guided tour around Pleasanton of its famed haunted sites. Volunteers include the Creatures of Impulse, who participate in the event by acting as ghosts and helping to bring Pleasanton to life as a ghost town at night. Matthew Bessiere, member of Creatures of Impulse, recalls with fondness his experience as a ghost in the Walk. “My experience was wonderful. I had a great time. I was supposed to be the ghost of someone who worked at the old train station on railroad. I wore an old suit jacket I found and some slacks, and my makeup was white face paint with detail under the eyes. There were some actors who had crazy scars and wounds on their faces. People who were not a part of Ghost Walk were confused, and if they asked we told them, but the people on the tour seemed to love us. Our station was a little more comedic than others, and the audience really seemed to enjoy that.” For more information on the Ghost Walk, check out www.museumonmain.org.

Pirates of Emerson at Alameda County Fairgrounds is another event that is enjoyed by many. It essentially has several different haunted attractions in one park that ticket buyers can attend. This year, according to the website, the featured attractions are: Laboragory, Pirates of Emerson (the one returning act), Holiday Horror, The Hack Shack, and The Dark Gauntlet. In addition to the haunted attractions, there are extra events such as Melted Metal, Clown Chaos, Misfortune Teller, Frightmares Sideshow, Nightly Entertainment, and more. Ticket prices range from $30-$50, with $10 extra for a speed pass or $10 extra to be able to go through each attraction a second time (yes, you can only go once normally). The only difference between ticket prices is that there is the option of being able to attend a certain choice number of extra events. Check the website www.piratesofemerson.com for more information.

In addition to spooky events like Ghost Walk and scary events like Pirates of Emerson, the soon to be released Halloween movies will provide added entertainment this season. Although some movies like Tyler Perry’s Boo! A Madea Halloween (coming out Oct. 21) and the well-known Halloweentown are less horror and more comedy, the more fright-inducing movies like Under the Shadow (PG-13) and Ouija: Origin of Evil (PG-13) are sure to make you jump out of your seat.

Halloween can be a celebratory, costume-filled, or frightful night depending on what is made of it. Whether this is through the Ghost Walk, Pirates of Emerson, scary movies, or the classic act of trick-or-treating, it is something to enjoy and remember for years to come.

picture credits:

http://www.museumonmain.org/ghost-walk.html

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lttTtIFCHPo/maxresdefault.jpg

Caption 1: Pleasanton Annual Ghost Walk

Caption 2: Pirates of Emerson performing group for haunted houses