Freaky fun on tap for this month

By Geoffrey Wertime, Staff Writer
   With commercial holiday seasons beginning a bit earlier each year, Halloween merchandise has been on the shelves for weeks. But local events celebrating All Hallows Eve have held their ground, and are just now finally coming out of the shadows for the year.
   Windsor Farm and Market, which straddles the line between Robbinsville and West Windsor, will start once again taking guests down the trail of its 1.5-mile Haunted Hayride tomorrow, Friday.
   Zombies are the theme this year, said co-owner Wayne Kalinowski of Robbinsville. He said unlike in the past, this year creatures will be climbing out of the ground and maybe even approaching visitors. The farm has a “town” built in the woods along the trail, and this year the wagons will actually stop there for “a big surprise,” he added.
   ”It’s something new this year,” he said. “It’s going to be different.”
   The rides will start at 7 p.m. and run until 11:30 p.m. or midnight on Fridays, Oct. 10, 17, and 24, Saturdays, Oct. 11, 18, and 25, and Sundays, Oct. 19 and 26. Wagons leave every eight minutes and stay out for 45 minutes to an hour. For more information, or to reserve rides for large groups, call 609-443-9379.
   Younger children who might be frightened of the walking dead may prefer the events at the Robbinsville branch of the Mercer County Library System. On Saturday, the library will show the kids’ movie “The Haunted Mansion” at 2 p.m., and on Thursday, Oct. 30, the branch will host a Halloween party.
   Kindergartners and up are invited to come in costume at 4:15 p.m. to go through stations playing games, making crafts and eating some special treats. The party will last about an hour, and parents looking to take their kids to either event are asked to register by calling 609-259-2150.
   Other types of events also are slated for this month. The South Jersey Ghost Research Group (SJGRG) will pay a visit to the Plumsted branch of the Ocean County Library at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15.
   SJGRG public relations coordinator Maureen Carroll said the group would show two videos, one on what the group is and what it does, another featuring one of its media appearances. The presentation would then turn to playing audio of “electronic voice phenomenon,” or “EVPs,” which are purported to be the recorded voices of spirits. Lastly, the floor will open for a question-and-answer session.
   ”One of the most popular questions we get all the time is, ‘What is the scariest thing that’s ever happened to you on an investigation?’” Ms. Carroll said. Others ask about ghost stories involving local areas. She said the group has done some work in New Egypt, but declined to reveal where, citing the promise of confidentiality the group gives to homeowners requesting its help.
   Ms. Carroll said it is up to parents whether or not they want to bring their children, but the presentation is not intended to be frightening. “The big reason we do this is to lessen the fear, to let people know that there is very little to be frightened of out there,” she said.
   The library will also host a haunted house sponsored by its Teen Advisory Board at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The night will feature a haunted house, games, crafts and treats for children ages 3 and up, who are encouraged to come in costume.
   Both Plumsted events are free, though guests are asked to register with the library in person, by phone at 609-758-7888, or online at www.theoceancountylibrary.org.
   Allentown’s library will be celebrating Halloween as well, and the borough will also be home to a “Witches’ Night Out.”
   On Thursday, Oct. 23, several stores will welcome visitors from 6 to 9 p.m. Irene Lynch, owner of Down Home Country on Church Street, said she expected a crowd similar to last year’s turnout of about 200 people. She said this will be the fourth year for this grown-up event.
   Those coming to her store in costume will receive a coupon for half off one item (or 20 percent off for those without a costume), and the first 25 to arrive will also be given free, signed Halloween-themed prints of the borough’s mill. The store will take photographs to judge for its costume contest, so no one has to stay the whole night. Food and goodie bags will round out the evening, which will also be hosted next door by Unique Treasures.
   Just a day later, on Friday, Oct. 24, the Allentown branch of the Monmouth County Library System will host a guided walking tour of the borough at 7:30 p.m. Volunteers and Allentown Library Board members will lead the group around town, visiting several specific houses. “As they stop at each house, it’ll be an actual true story of something that happened at that house, a ghost-related story,” said branch manager Nancy Stein.
   The tour will then return to the library for one final story, refreshments, raffles and door prizes. Tickets are $12.50 in advance or $15 the day of the event, which is limited to 75 people. Ms. Stein said it would be held “rain or moonshine,” and asked guests to bring a flashlight. The tour will not be appropriate for small children, she added.