Also: Check out some Pinelands ghost towns on the ghost town tour.
Halloween is just a few days away and there will be plenty of chances for residents of all ages to get dressed up in costume and enjoy spooky activities this weekend. Find out which events are taking place around the region.
In the Pinelands
- Join Pinelands Adventures Naturalist, John Volpa, for a four-mile hike at an easy pace between the Mullica and Batsto Rivers during the Journey Between Two Rivers hike. Explore the uplands and river edges for native plants and animals while learning about the unique features of the Pine Barrens. The like lasts from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring a picnic lunch! $35 for adults and $20 for kids. For more information visit http://www.pinelandsalliance.org/calendar/.
- The Pine Barrens of New Jersey contain more ghost towns, some say, than the entire America west. The Pinelands of today with its pristine woodlands and unique plant and animal communities, is a very different place than the busy industrial center it once was several hundred years ago, and you can see it during the Pine Barrens Ghost Towns Small Group Bus Tour. Barbara Solem, author of Ghost Towns and Other Quirky Places in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, will take participants on a tour of many of the forgotten industrial towns that once thrived in the Pine Barrens. Tickets are $60 per person. For more information visit http://www.pinelandsalliance.org/calendar/.
Around South Jersey
- An annual Halloween tradition returns to Medford this weekend as the Medford-Vincentown Rotary Club hosts its 71st annual Halloween Parade on Saturday. The parade will travel down Main Street in Medford beginning at 7 p.m. The parade begins at St. Mary of the Lakes School and will travel south down Main Street, ending at the Haines Fifth Grade Center. Main Street will close to traffic at 6 p.m. The rain date for the parade is Sunday. For more information, visit www.medfordhalloweenparade.com.
- Guests can learn about some haunted history in Washington Township on Saturday. The Washington Township Historic Commission and NJROPE will host Halloween Adventures: An After Hours Tour from 7 to 10:30 p.m. at The Olde Stone House Village, located at 208 Egg Harbor Road in Sewell. Investigate the historical buildings with real equipment and trained professionals. Tickets are $30 at the door and are subject to availability. Email [email protected] for more information.
- Voorhees Town Center will be decked out for Halloween on Saturday as the Voorhees Township Halloween Festival takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. The event includes a slew of activities, including hayrides, a costume parade, pumpkin picking, a balloon artist, magic show and more. The event is free to attend and parking is free. For more information, visit www.voorheesnj.com.
At the Jersey Shore
- Halloween arrives at the Cape May County Zoo on Saturday at its annual Boo at the Zoo event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests of all ages are invited to dress in costume and partake in games, candy, entertainment, a magic show, a live animal show and more. There will be a costume contest beginning at 11 a.m., with registration at 10 a.m. The magic show is scheduled for 1 p.m., with the animal show right after. The event is free to attend. The zoo is located at 707 North Route 9 in Cape May. Visit www.capemay.com/eventcalendar/index.php?eID=21311 for more information.
- Stone Harbor will host its Kids’ Harvest Festival on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the downtown shopping district. Kids can make fall crafts, enjoy a free hayride, pumpkin decorating and go trick or treating in numerous shops and businesses. Visit http://stoneharborbeach.com for more information on the event.
In Philadelphia
- Enjoy a slew of Halloween-themed activities in Manayunk this weekend. Halloween in Manayunk will take place along Main Street from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities include a children and dog costume parade at 10:30 a.m., trick-or-treating along Main Street and a corn maze at Venice Island. The event is free to attend. Visit http://manayunk.com/news-and-events/events/halloween-in-manayunk.html for more information.
- Prince of Peace Church in Philadelphia will be hosting its annual Fall Festival on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be lots of food and beverage options to choose from, as well as shopping, prizes, raffles and more. Prince of Peace Church is located at 6001 Colgate Street in Philadelphia. The event will be held indoors and is free to attend.
To see more events taking place in Philadelphia this weekend, visit www.philadelphiaweekly.com.
