The township’s annual Halloween Adventure will return to the Olde Stone House Village on Oct. 22 and include familiar activities as well new ones.
The annual event is sponsored by the Washington Township Historic Preservation Commission as an opportunity for the community to gather and for the commission to give back to those who support it throughout the year.
“It has changed a little this year; we’re getting rid of the trick-or-treat scavenger hunt because we are short on volunteers,” said committee Chairman Nick Appice. “So instead, we are doing a trunk or treat with some of our classic car show participants.”
There is something for everyone at the Halloween Adventure, including children and adult costume contests, tarot card readers, paranormal investigators and about 30 craft vendors.
“Also new this year will be an adult costume contest,” said Appice. “That will be geared more towards adults, with scarier and more detailed costumes … We will also be bringing back our paranormal pathway as well.”
The car trunk or treat will welcome vehicles from the township’s annual car show, decorated or not, whose owners will hand out candy to the youngest visitors. Trophies will be awarded for the best cars there.
Like most Olde Stone House Village events, its historic buildings will be open for tours. But during the fundraiser, tours will touch on not only the history but also some of the paranormal activity, folklore and legends associated with the facilities.
“Throughout the night, we will have a few people touring from building to building,” Appice explained. “They will go over a quick history of the building and some things we found over the years through different investigations, along with folklore passed down from generations.”
Returning to the event this year will be NJROPE Paranormal, a group of researchers who have done multiple paranormal investigations at Olde Stone House Village. They will host 30-minute, mini-paranormal investigations for a small fee, and event guests can also try to examine their own paranormal experiences.
NJROPE will return to the village in November to complete a full investigation on all historic buildings, not including the post office.
“We have been working with NJROPE for around seven years, and they have caught a lot of stuff on camera,” Appice pointed out.
The Halloween Adventure is free, except for the paranormal investigations. Hours are 6 to 10 p.m., with trunk or treat ending at 8. The kids costume parade will kick off at 7, and the adult costume contest will start at 9. Prizes will include trophies and candy as well as gift cards for the adults.
“This is one of our family events that gets everyone out there,” Appice noted. “This is one of those events where we give back to the community and get people to come visit the village.”
For more information about Halloween Adventure and other events during the holiday season, visit https://www.twp.washington.nj.us.
