October is here, which means it’s officially spooky season. Whether your Halloween tastes skew more toward zombies and horror movies, or cute costumes and candy, there’s something for everyone this month in the Corridor.
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The Deranged Haunted Attraction: 7 to 10 or 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 9 to 31, 102 Eighth St., Belle Plaine; $25 general admission. Kids Haunt: 3:30 to 6 p.m. Oct. 25, lights on, no actors, special pricing. thederangedhauntedattraction.com
Circle of Ash: Oct. 2 to Oct. 31 Fridays, Saturdays and some Sundays. Various times. Linn County Fairgrounds, 201 Central City Road, Central City. Traditional indoor haunted house, walk-through fun house maze, haunted forest. $35 at the gate, with family, VIP and fast passes available. circleofash.com
Scream Acres: 6:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3 to 31, Bloomsbury Farm, 3260 69th St., Atkins. Carnival Chaos 3D, Dred Shed, Cell Block Z and The Corn; also, Beer Garden for ages 21 and up; tickets and details, screamacrespark.com
Melinda Wichmann author visit: 6 to 7 p.m. Oct. 8, Ely Public Library, 1595 Dows St., Ely. Local author Melinda Wichmann will discuss her books, “How to Live with a Ghost” and “Exercise Finished.” She is contributor to “Iowa Weird Vol. 2.” Copies will be available for purchase at the event.
Spooky Legends of Linn County: 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 24, The History Center lawn, 800 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Pumpkin painting at 6 p.m. followed by local ghost stories by campfire with storyteller Darrin Crow at 7 p.m.; $6 general admission historycenter.org/spooky
Hazel Beck author visit: 7 p.m. Oct. 24, Granger House Victorian Museum, 970 10th St., Marion. Author Hazel Beck’s new book is a cozy autumnal horror romance called “Some Kind of Haunted.” Tickets are $25 and include a copy of the book and light refreshments. This event is sold out, but visit swampfoxbookstore.com to join the wait list.
Behind the Scream: A Live Conversation with David Arquette: 7 p.m. Oct. 25, Paramount Theatre, 123 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. This event features a special 30th anniversary screening of the iconic horror film “Scream,” followed by an in-depth moderated interview and Q&A with David Arquette, who played Dewey Riley in the franchise. Tickets start at $37.50. Details: orchestraiowa.org
Paranormal presentation: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28, Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., Hiawatha. This free presentation by the Spectre Group takes visitors into the world of ghost hunting.
Hollowed Harvest: Various hours, Friday and Saturday evenings, with some Sunday and Thursday hours, Linn County Fairgrounds, Central City. Wander through a glowing pumpkin patch and fall lights in this no-scares celebration for all ages. Tickets: $30 per family/group (up to four; $5 per additional person). Details: ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/CircleOfAsh
Harvest Hayrack Nights: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 16 and Oct. 30, Ushers Ferry Historic Village. 5925 Seminole Valley Trail NE, Cedar Rapids. Ride through the valley on a hayrack, roast marshmallows and enjoy a simple craft. Then head to the saloon for card games and free popcorn. Cost: $8 to $12, children 5 and under attend free. cedar-rapids.org
Halloween Painting: 10 a.m. Oct. 17, Ely Public Library, 1595 Dows St., Ely. Older children and adults are invited to paint Halloween- and autumn-themed etched wooden pictures. Open to ages 10 and up. Program is free, but RSVPs are required. Email [email protected] or call 319-848-7616.
Trink or Treat: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19, Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., Hiawatha. A Halloween-themed trinket trading party for teens. Free.
Hiawatha Trunk or Treat: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Oct. 23, Guthridge Park, Hiawatha. Walk through rows of creatively decorated vehicle trunks hosted by local businesses, organizations and community members. Free
Cedar Rapids Halloween Parade: 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Oct. 24, NewBo/Czech Village District, Cedar Rapids. Organized by Terry-Durin Co. Features floats, costumed walking units, and trick-or-treating along the parade route. Pre-parade family activities from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at NewBo City Market. Details: cedarrapidshalloweenparade.com/
Spooky Skate: 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 24, ImOn Ice, Cedar Rapids. Come dressed in your best Halloween costume for some fun on and off the ice. $15 admission includes skate admission, cookies and more. Details: creventslive.com.
Marion Monster Mash: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 24, Uptown Marion. This free Halloween celebration features trunk-or-treating, games and activities. Details: www.cityofmarion.org/fallintomarion
Iowa City Moms Halloween Bash: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 25, The Celebration Farm, 4696 Robin Woods Lane NE, Iowa City. Family-friendly fall gathering with games, crafts and activities, indoor trick-or-treating and a candy grab. Adults and children 1 and younger are free; kids $7. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Find Iowa City Moms on Facebook.
Tanager & Eastern Iowa Health Center’s Trunk or Treat: 5 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 27, Estle Center Parking Lot, 1030 Fifth Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. This free event features over 35 trunks with free giveaways, fresh produce, activities for kids and families, and of course, candy.
Mango Mustache Haunted House: 4 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29, 2515 Eighth Ave., Marion. A fun and creepy Halloween walk-through with trick-or-treating, face painting, hot chocolate and more. Adults-only from 7 to 11 p.m. for the full scare. Details: mangomustache.com
Hallelujah Party: 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 31, Spirit of Faith Family Church, 4069 21st Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids. A free event for all children ages 12 and younger, featuring an inflatable house, prizes, games, face painting and candy. Full masks and violent or scary costumes are not allowed.
Lisbon Halloween Town: 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 31, Main Street in Lisbon. Local businesses and groups will hand out candy and provide games/activities. More games are provided by the Lisbon Parks Department, including a hay rack ride. Free. Details: visitmvl.com
Adult Halloween Party: 7 p.m. Oct. 16, DoubleTree by Hilton Convention Complex, 350 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. Adult costume party for ages 30 and up, with live music and dancing. This year’s theme is the superfly 1970s. Tickets start at $33. Find event’s page on Facebook for more information.
Spooky Cabin Campfire: 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 17, Upper City Park, Iowa City. Gather around the campfire for an adults-only fright night. Share your spookiest stories, enjoy s’mores, and celebrate Halloween with eerie tales under the stars. $12 to $17. thinkiowacity.com
Iowa City Halloween Bar Crawl: Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, downtown Iowa City. Multi-venue costume crawl. Individual tickets start at $19 in advance. pubcrawls.com
Fall Front Lawn A/V Experiment: 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 30, Tree of Liminality, 1301 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids. DJ Caterwaul will spin records and coordinate a multi-channel video projection on the front lawn of the Heart House. Costumes encouraged. Suggested theme is to come as a well-known artist or artwork. Free.
Cedar Rapids Halloween Bar Crawl: 4 to 10 p.m. Oct. 31, Cedar Rapids. Pub crawl featuring drink specials. $24 in advance, includes three drinks at designated bars, no cover charges, after party. crawlwith.us/cedarrapids/halloween/
Dia de Los Muertos: Oct. 8-Nov. 8, CSPS Hall ImOn Gallery, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids. Opening reception 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 8. This group art exhibition features submitted works on the theme of the Latin American tradition of Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.
Frankenstuffies: Adult DIY Craft Night: 6 p.m. Oct. 20, Hiawatha Public Library, 150 W. Willman St., Hiawatha. Bring your creativity and your darkest crafting impulses to the library. Supplies provided, and no experience is needed. Registration required.
Spooky Movie Night at the Farm: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, 1340 11th St. NW, Cedar Rapids. Bundle up, bring a blanket and settle in for a not-too-spooky fall movie night with “The Haunted Mansion” in the amphitheater, along with hot chocolate. Free, but $1 donation per person is appreciated. crrec.org
Disney’s Hocus Pocus in Concert: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24, Paramount Theatre, 123 Third Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids. Orchestra Iowa performs the film score live alongside a full screening; costumes encouraged. Tickets $31 to $71, orchestraiowa.org
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” Midnight Screening: 11:59 p.m. Oct. 30, Englert Theatre, 221 E. Washington St., Iowa City. Interactive screening with costumes and prop bags. Tickets: $25. Details: englert.org
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” screenings: 10 p.m. Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, CSPS Hall, 1103 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids. A shadow cast performs the movie live in front of the screen, acting out the scenes in costume while the film plays. Audience participation, call backs and prop bags make the experience interactive. Tickets: $25. Details: cspshall.org