Local venues offer Halloween-themed events

Spectators relaxed on blankets and lawn chairs under the old beech tree Friday at the River Campus to hear haunting stories from national storytellers Regina Carpenter and Gayle Ross during the annual Ghost Storytelling Festival. Ross and Carpenter told tales that were not too scary in the first half of the performance and more spine-tingling fables later in the evening.

Stacy Lane, director of public relations for the Convention and Visitors Bureau, didn't have figures available for the weekend but believes attendance for this event was the highest yet, with participation growing every year.

Several more Halloween-centered events are happening in the area throughout October, including the annual Haunted Hall of Horror at the Arena Building, presented by the Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department, and the Rocky Holler Haunted Hayride in Jackson. The Haunted Hall of Horror will be open from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Oct. 28 and 29 and on Halloween night. New this year to the Haunted Hall of Horror will be a Light Fright Night from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 30, an event geared toward younger children.

The Rocky Holler Haunted Hayride will be open from 7 to 10 p.m. the last two Fridays and Saturdays in October. Rocky Holler is on County Road 303 in Jackson.

Black Forest Village in Cape Girardeau is again hosting its annual Haunted Ghost Town the last three weekends in October. Black Forest Village owner Greg Macke said opening night went well.

"It's a semiguided tour," Macke said. "We have three main sections with different themes in each room. We'll have some dummies and some real people for a sort of boo-like scare. We don't try to scare you with blood and gore. You never know what might be around the corner."

Typically, attendance increases for most events as Halloween night approaches. Although the Haunted Ghost Town will not be open Halloween night, the Dark Woods Cemetery in Marble Hill, Mo., will be scaring people Oct. 31.

Doris Douglas, owner of Dark Woods Cemetery, is hosting the event for the second year on her wooded property 10 miles north of Marble Hill. Participants are cautioned to enter at their own risk.

"We have a little bit of blood and gore, we have a dark carnival, animated effects, thunder and lightening; just have all kinds of different things that people won't be expecting," Douglas said. "People seem to be having a good time when they come through and say it is well worth what they're paying for."

For more information on the Dark Woods Cemetery or directions, call 573-866-2617.

The St. Louis Iron Mountain and Southern Railway Haunted Dinner Train or an Evening of Spirits with the Spirits of the Glenn House offer a more relaxed atmosphere.

The Haunted Dinner Train will be held at 5 p.m. Oct. 29, with a menu of themed offerings. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 1-800-455-7245.

An Evening of Spirits with the Spirits of the Glenn House on Saturday night will consist of a guided tour of the Glenn House in Cape Girardeau with visitors stopping for spooky tales in each room. The River City Players will be giving the ghost storytelling performances. River Cit Players president Debbie Barnhouse will perform, along with five other River City Players board members.

"This is a fundraiser for the Glenn House, but the River City Players will be presenting the ghost stories," Barnhouse said. "After you see each room, you will be taken to the carriage house for hors d'oeuvres and beverages."

Bel-Air Grill will serve hors d'oeuvres, and there will be a wine-and-beer cash bar. All proceeds from the event will go to the Glenn House and the River City Players Community Theater not-for-profit organization. For more information on an Evening of Spirits with the Spirits of the Glenn House, call 334-9997.

Pertinent Address:

325 S. Spanish St., Cape Girardeau, MO, 63703

County Road 303, Jackson, MO, 63755

2728 County Rd. 638, Cape Girardeau, MO, 63701

252 E. Jackson Blvd., Jackson, MO, 63755

410 Kiwanis Drive, Cape Girardeau, MO, 63701