Halloween is one of my favourite holidays. After all, who doesn’t like a good little scare every now and then? Calgary has a great set of events scheduled for the weeks leading up to Halloween in October, from haunted houses to monster mashes. Here’s a round up of Calgary’s best Halloween Haunts:
ScreamFest Haunted House
ScreamFest is a yearly event at Canada Olympic Park that includes five different haunted houses and a tent full of games and other ghastly attractions (like getting buried alive or test driving a casket). I recommend getting there early as it definitely gets busy quickly, and it’s much more fun getting scared then waiting in line. With a number of scary performers sneaking up behind you, you also might get a little scare outside of the haunted houses (my apologies to the guy that snuck up on me… I didn’t mean to call you an asshole).
Nightmare Now Haunted House
Located at KartWorld off MacLeod Trail, Nightmare Now is smaller than ScreamFest but packed full of just as many screams. With two creepy haunted houses that are sure to make you pee your pants, you’ll also be able to hang out at KartWorld afterwards for a fun night out.
Rocky Horror Halloween Show
My number one Halloween tradition is watching the Rocky Horror Picture Show. And what better way to do it then with a bunch of other crazy people at midnight? Head down to The Plaza theatre in Kensington October 30 or 31 for one of three screenings of the movie. Audience participation is a must, so be sure to bring your props, costumes and be prepared to do the Time Warp.
Boo! at the Zoo
An annual event, Boo! at the Zoo is a fun family event for children between the ages of 3 – 12. Starting October 26 you can take your kids to the zoo for a day (or evening for the older kids) of scares as they walk through the “Walk of the Dead” and play a number of Halloween themed games. There is also a free treat for kids under 12. Who doesn’t like free candy?
Other Events
There’s also a number of other family friendly events happening on October 31. Bring your kids to Halloween Scare at Market Mall, The YMCA Halloween Howler, or Halloween Fun Day for Kids at Deerfoot Mall. You can also visit Calgary Opera’s Grave Gala for an evening of spooky fun.
Update: Check the comments for some other great family friendly events!
