Hello Gourd-geous

We’re in a scary good mood. Why? Because it’s spooky season. To get in the spirit, we are sharing our upcoming event picks! Before we give away all our treats, we’ll start with a riddle. What do you call a skeleton that makes you laugh and giggle when you are sad? There’s your trick, keep reading for a treat!

Myrtle Grove Haunt

Buried deep within the haunted grounds of Hillsborough, Myrtle Grove Haunt is a haunted barn experience with scares at every turn. Ages ago, this tradition started as a Halloween party with friends, who loved the holiday so much, it was scary. Today, when the lights go out, it’s a 5,500 square foot, two-level haunted attraction, bringing together frightened souls from across the state.

Located at 3510 North Carolina Highway 86 in Hillsborough, barn doors are open every Friday and Saturday night until November 4 from 6 to 11 p.m. Of course, they’ll be open Halloween night as well. For more sensitive spirits, no-scare admission is from 6 to 7 p.m. and the haunted barn admission starts at 8 p.m. Ticket prices vary by weekend; make sure to purchase your tickets before arriving. 

1870 Farm

Chapel Hill’s 1870 Farm is giving ‘em pumpkin to talk about! Celebrate their seventh annual Halloween at the Farm event on October 21, 22, 28 and 29. For only four days, 1870 Farm will transform into a bewitching wonderland, appropriate for kids of all ages. We’re willing to bet it’s your first Halloween party to feature a spooky-themed veterinary clinic!

Tickets for children over the age of 2 are $25 each. The entrance fee includes an hour and a half of farm access, hay to feed the animals, a small pumpkin or gourd, pumpkin decorating, a trick-or-treat scavenger hunt, a potion at the apothecary and a spooky treat! Spend time with the eerie-sistible farm animals in costume, but keep your eyes peeled for unicorns and dinosaurs. Tickets for adults are $15 each and include farm access, hay and a special treat.

For an extra fee, add a gem bag for some chilling gemstone mining, the 1870 Farm’s book “Penelope Plants a Pumpkin” or a spooky apothecary experience, where ghouls can learn about the benefits of essential oils and make their own witch’s brew spray.

Gross Farms

Hop on your broomstick and take a quick flight to Sanford. No, it might not be gory, but it could be gross – Gross Farms that is. From now until October 29, their hallowed grounds are open on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m., Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. First and foremost, pack your compass and prepare to be lost. Navigate their 10-acre corn maze, which consists of three puzzles and over four miles of pathways. Track your progress within each puzzle at various checkpoints, equipped with staff members and maps for added help.

If your front stoop is looking a bit empty, the Gross Farms pumpkin patch is the best solution. Once you’re ready to rest after hours of corn maze trekking and pumpkin picking, take a hayride! Or, if you’re ready for more, visit the play area, the 40-foot slide or the Pumpkin Jump trampoline. For snack time, their concessions stand is your stop for snacks, homemade ice cream and beverages for purchase. All-access passes are available for $20!

Perkins Orchard

The largest and oldest produce market in Durham, Perkins Orchard is celebrating their 53^rd season of bringing their guests the highest quality produce. Back by popular demand, their $99 fill-a-wagon deal is back. Bring the whole family and pack a cart with any pumpkins on the lot, fill a $25 produce bag with any produce in the market, a free watermelon or small mum and a glass jar of jam, cider, honey or butter. That’s all included for $99!

On weekdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., paint your pumpkin for only $10. The activity includes a pumpkin, paint, glitter, stickers, goofy eyes and paintbrushes. Carve out some time to be creative this Halloween season!

Okay, let’s get back to our riddle. So, what do you call a skeleton that makes you laugh and giggle when you are sad? That’s right, he’s a funny bone!