What To Do: Chadds Ford Pumpkin Carve

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times

One of the most popular autumn events in the area is “The Great Pumpkin Carve” (Chadds Ford Historical Society, Route 100, Chadds Ford, 610-388-7376,www.chaddsfordhistory.org) which is running now through October 19.

The colorful event began with the carving competition on October 17. Live entertainment, hayrides and hot food are featured all three days.

Every year at the Great Pumpkin Carve, more than 60 carvers — amateur and professional — gather to sculpt, saw and chisel giant pumpkins in front of crowds of enthusiastic onlookers.  

This well-attended Chadds Ford tradition began in the early 1970’s when artists Jimmy Lynch, Andrew Wyeth and his son Jamie Wyeth were convinced to carve pumpkins to decorate the inside of the Chadds Ford Inn. Other Chadds Ford artists joined in the carving and, within a few years, the event spread from the Inn’s front porch all the way across the lawn of the Chadds Ford Gallery.

As the Pumpkin Carve grew, it moved to larger venues and in 1992 arrived at its current venue — the meadow behind the Chadds Ford Historical Society. This annual event, still held on the Historical Society’s grounds, is a major fundraiser that raises funds to support the CFHS’ educational programs, historic preservation of their historic sites and more.

Hours are from 4-9 p.m. on October 18 and 3-9 p.m. on October 19. Admission is $15 for adults (18 and older) and $5 for children (ages 7-17).

One of the most ambitious area Halloween attractions is “The Glow: A Jack O’Lantern Experience” (www.theglowjackolantern.com).

“The Glow,” which runs now through November 3.

This is a family-friendly, immersive Halloween stroll along a trail illuminated by more than 5,000 hand-carved jack o’ lanterns.

The Halloween-themed happening will delight visitors as they are surrounded by thousands of intricately-carved pumpkins dangling from above and along the third-of-a-mile walk. In the pumpkin graveyard, guests will encounter black cats, ghosts and gravestones.

“The Glow” also illuminates some of Philly’s most famous natives with pumpkin look-a-likes featuring sports figures, famous icons, superheroes and princesses.

“The Glow” is located in West Fairmount Park adjacent to the Mann Music Center on Parkside Avenue. Tickets start at $16.99.

Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) celebrates the pumpkin with its Pumpkin Playground.

The special attraction is open now through October 31.

Visitors to the special area in the Children’s Corner will find an array of hands-on pumpkin fun and have an opportunity to capture a festive fall photo with Longwood’s pumpkins — including the largest pumpkin on display, which weighs more than 550 pounds.

To celebrate the arrival of autumn, Longwood has a new attraction – “Blooms & Bamboo: Chrysanthemum and Ikebana Sogetsu Artistry.”

This once-in-a-lifetime experience features towering Ikebana bamboo art forms, enchanting Asian arrangements, and thousands of blooming chrysanthemums throughout the Conservatory. The displays have been crafted by masters from around the world.

The world’s pre-eminent master of Ikebana Sogetsu, Headmaster Akane Teshigahara, has created spiraling and twisting works of bamboo art exclusively for Longwood’s Conservatory and the results are extraordinary. 

Our Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum—a single plant bearing more than 1,000 perfect blooms on a single stem—makes its dazzling debut October 24.

Admission to Longwood Gardens is $23 for adults, $20 for seniors and $12 for youth (ages 5-18).

East Goshen’s Pumpkin Festival is scheduled for October 19 at East Goshen Park (1655 Paoli Pike, West Chester, www.eastgoshen.org).

The event, which runs from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m., will feature pumpkin bowling, a pumpkin pie eating contest and a list of other Halloween activities.

All kids at the free family-oriented event will receive a free pumpkin and can enter the pumpkin drawing contests.

Visitors can end the day with a leisurely romp in the hay and tractor ride.

The Lights Fest Philadelphia will be held on October 19 at Plantation Field (1547 West Doe Run Road, Kennett Square, thelightsfest.com). It is one of a series of similar events held around the country each year.

The Lights Fest Philadelphia is an experience where thousands of friends and families gather to listen to live music, fill up on yummy food, and light up life by sharing personal wishes, dreams and goals. At the perfect moment everyone ignites personalized sky lanterns with Tiki torches and lets them take flight.

This activity creates a surreal ambiance where time slows down as each participant’s lantern rises and joins with thousands of others to light up the sky.

The Lights Fest is dedicated to leaving a positive impact on the environment and everyone who attends the event. This is an event that is for everyone but cultivates individual experiences. Whether you’re commemorating or celebrating, you’re creating a special memory that will last a lifetime.

The mission of The Lights Fest is to create a transformative experience for families and friends, enabling them to share their light with others.

As The Lights Fest is an outdoor event, it can sometimes encounter unpredictable or bad weather. Event date and location are subject to change.

In cases where the weather forces cancellation of an event, the first possible make-up date will be the Sunday of that same weekend. If Sunday is not an option the second backup date will be within 90 days of the original event date. Refunds are not offered when the weather forces a rescheduling or relocating of an event.

The Lights Fest in Kennett Square will run from 2:30-8 p.m. Tickets are $55.

Longwood Fire Company (1001 East Baltimore Pike, Kennett Square, www.longwoodfireco.com) will be hosting its annual Open House on October 0  from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

The fire company and its crew of dedicated firefighters will be opening the bay doors to welcome the community to the station. The event will also showcase the company’s fire apparatus, equipment, and talent.

The popular annual event features a wide array of activities including LifeNet Air Medical Chopper, Vehicle Rescue Demonstration using the Jaws of Life, flu shots, Child ID fingerprinting, tours of the station, free food and beverages, face painting, and raffles.

“On the Roll” will be onsite with its food truck with an array of tasty menu items available for purchase.

On October 18 and 19, visitors to Sugartown (690 Sugartown Road, Malvern, http://historicsugartown.org/events) will have the opportunity to see Sugartown in a whole new light at the “Sugartown at Sundown Lantern Tours.”

Guides will lead visitors through the village by lantern and offer chilling tales about the village. The lantern tours will begin each night with the first tour at 6 p.m.

The tour will last approximately one hour. At the conclusion of the tour, guests can enjoy hot apple tea punch and treats from Simpson House Tea Room in the Carriage Museum

Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for children 6-10. The event is not recommended for children under age 6.

The Hagley Craft Fair is known for being one of the oldest and best annual craft events in the Brandywine Valley. Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, the event will be held October 19 and 20 at Hagley Museum and Library (Buck Road East entrance via Route 100, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-658-2400, www.hagley.org).

The popular annual show, which is being held inside Hagley’s Library Building and Soda House along with the grounds outside the building, is a juried craft fair with more than 50 top-flight artisans demonstrating, displaying and selling their crafts.

The Hagley Craft Fair, which was created to celebrate the history of the textile industry along the Brandywine in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, will spotlight artists who specialize in wearable art, Shaker boxes, wood, pottery, jewelry, glass, soap, metal and other media.

The Craft Fair will run from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $5.

“Hayrides at Hagley 2019” will be held on October 19, 20, 26 and 27 starting at the Visitor Center at 11 a.m.

Visitors can take a hayride along the Brandywine Creek to experience the beautiful fall foliage in the Powder Yard. They will also be able to create fall-themed crafts, and get at up-close look at a gunpowder explosion, a roll mill in action, and working 19th-century machines.

There is a big event for specialized memorabilia collectors this weekend — the Philly Non-Sports Card Show. The event will be held on October 19 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and October 20 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Merchants Square Mall (1901 South 12th Street, Allentown, 717-238-1936, http://phillynon-sportscardshow.com). Tickets are $8 each day or $14 for a two-day pass.

There are two basic categories of trading cards — sports cards and non-sports cards. Sports cards depict athletes at all levels. Non-sport cards offer so much more. There are card sets dealing with music, movies, politics, nature, pop culture and history.

For more than a century, non-sport trading cards have documented trends in pop culture – providing people with history lessons provided by small, rectangular pieces of cardboard.

Twice each year, collectors from across the country come together in eastern Pennsylvania for this very special event. Now in its 33rd year, the event is the oldest show of its kind in the country. This weekend’s extravaganza, which will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Merchants Square Mall in Allentown, is the 71st edition of the show.

Many of the hobby’s top manufacturers will have exhibit booths at this weekend’s show and will be distributing free promo cards. There will be a huge array of non-sport cards, sets, singles, wrappers, chase cards, promos, and related memorabilia.

The 1696 Thomas Massey House (Lawrence Road, Broomall, 610-353-3644, http://www.thomasmasseyhouse.org) will be celebrating autumn with its Harvest Day Festival on October 20. The free festival features demonstrations of a variety of colonial crafts by period re-enactors and other special activities from 19 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Visitors will be able to learn how to make apple butter, churn butter and make candles. There will be a working walk-in fireplace as well as a working blacksmith shop. Live music will be provided by the Marple Community Band.

The Strasburg Railroad (Route 741, Strasburg, 717-687-7522, www.strasburgrailroad.com) is presenting a special event starting on October 19.

Visitors can experience a once-in-a-lifetime steam train extravaganza as Strasburg Rail Road welcomes the iconic Norfolk & Western Class J 611 steam passenger locomotive to join its own locomotive #475 for five weekends of special events including: whistle blowing, photo sessions, behind-the-scenes tours, family-themed events, and exclusive in-cab opportunities, where passengers can operate and fire the J Class 611 or Strasburg’s Class M #475.

There will be plenty of activity this weekend at other area tourist railroads.

The West Chester Railroad (Market Street Station, West Chester, 610-430-2233, www.westchesterrr.com) is running its special “Fall Foliage Express” trains on November 2, 3, 9, and 10. Trains depart at noon and 2 p.m.

The round-trip train ride travels to the village of Glen Mills and back and lasts for 90 minutes. During the brief layover in Glen Mills, riders can explore the historic Pennsylvania Railroad station and have a snack in the railroad’s picnic grove along the Chester Creek.

A special attraction this weekend will be “Soldiers and Trains” on October 20 at noon and 2:30 p.m.

Passengers can ride vintage train to Glen Mills.   There, they can see reenactors showcasing soldiers in uniform from World War II and take a closer look at the different types of guns and equipment and how it evolved.

Onboard the trip, author Ken Springirth will be giving short presentations on the importance of railroads during the war. Many of his books will be on sale at Glen Mills station during this event.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for children ages 2-12 and free for kids under two.

The New Hope & Ivyland Railroad (32 West Bridge St, New Hope, 215- 862-2332, www.newhoperailroad.com) offers a two-and-one-half hour, 35-mile roundtrip ride on its “Fall Foliage Trains” from now through October 27. Every weekend, the rail line in Bucks County will operate regularly scheduled round trip trains out of New Hope Station and SEPTA’s Warminster station.

Passengers can enjoy the sights of the beautiful fall scenery while riding aboard the rail line’s “First Class Bar Car,” “Antique Seat Coach” or “Open Air Car.” Coach tickets are $40.99 for adults, $38.99 for children (ages 2-11) and $4.99 for toddlers.

The Trick or Treat train operates on select dates from October 11th thru Halloween (October 31st), with trains departing at 6:30 PM.

The Wilmington & Western Railroad (2201 Newport Gap Pike, Wilmington, DE, 302-998-1930, www.wwrr.com) is running its “Autumn Leaf Special” with trains on October 19, 20, 23, 26, and 30 and November 2 and 3.

Trips are either a one-and-one-half hour roundtrips to the Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove or two-and-one-half hour roundtrips to Hockessin.

The W&WRR also is running its “Hayride Express” on October 11, 18 and 26 and November 1 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. each night. Visitors can experience a one-hour evening ride through the Red Clay Valley on an original railroad flatcar converted especially for hayrides.

Black Walnut Winery (3000 Lincoln Highway, Sadsburyville, 610-857-5566, www.blackwalnutwinery.com) will host its Seventh Annual Fire and Wine Festival on October 19 from 4-11 p.m.

Ticket price includes souvenir logo wine glass; a glass of wine, a can of Sly Fox beer or a wine tasting (your choice of 4 wines), a gigantic bonfire, craft and food vendors.

There will also be live music by three bands including Holt 45.

Tickets are $25 and a portion of the proceeds from ticket sales goes directly to the Sadsburyville Fire Company.

The 33rd Annual AIDS Walk Philly and AIDS Run Philly will be held October 20 at

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has evolved over the last 30 years, so AIDS Fund is evolving its mission to create an even greater impact on the lives of those living with HIV disease in our community. Beginning in 2017, AIDS Fund began providing support to the most vulnerable people in our community living with HIV by providing emergency financial assistance for critical life needs.

Advances in treatment and new prevention strategies have now made “Getting to Zero” — zero new infections, zero deaths, zero stigma– an achievable goal.www.aidswalkphilly.org

On weekends now through October 26, the Kalmar Nyckel will be offering public sails from two locations in Wilmington, Delaware. The sailings will leave from the Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard (1124 East Seventh Street, Wilmington, Delaware, www.kalmarnyckel.org.)

For two decades, the Kalmar Nyckel, which has its home base in Wilmington, has been hosting riders all over the world – especially in Delaware.

A ride on the Kalmar Nyckel is a totally different from most tourist water rides. The ship is a beautiful recreation of the original Kalmar Nyckel, which was built in Holland in the 1620s. Her mainmast is taller than a 10-story building and she carries 7,600 square feet of sail area and six miles of rigging.

The original Kalmar Nyckel was a Swedish-owned, three-masted armed pinnace that sailed from Goteborg, Sweden in November of 1637 and brought the first permanent European settlers to the Delaware Valley.

In 1986 a group of citizens established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation to design, build and launch a replica of the Kalmar Nyckel at a shipyard adjacent to the original landing site.

The new Kalmar Nyckel was constructed there and was launched on September 28, 1997. She was commissioned on May 9, 1998 and now serves as Delaware’s sea-going Ambassador of Good Will. She is a fully functional sail training vessel and has represented Delaware all over the country.

Tickets are $35 for adults and $20 for youth (ages 17 and under).

Now though January 5, people can get in a happy mood by visiting HAPPY PLACE (HappyPlace.me).

Live Nation Philadelphia has brought HAPPY PLACE, an interactive, immersive pop-up exhibit with larger-than-life installations and multi-sensory themed rooms, to the King of Prussia Mall where it will run now January 5, 2020.

HAPPY PLACE is filled with multi-sensory immersive rooms inducing smiles and laughter, plus larger-than-life, one-of-a-kind installations including seven-foot stilettos made of a million candies and six-foot tall mirrored X and O letters surrounded by a wall of one thousand red lips.

From dancing in the world’s largest confetti dome to posing inside the famous rubber ducky bathtub of fun and jumping off a rainbow into a pot of happiness, guests travel through each unique room guided by a team of specially selected and trained Happy People. HAPPY PLACE is created for an audience for all ages. Minors under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

HAPPY PLACE features more than 15,000 square feet of playful spaces and cheerful moments including a Super Bloom room filled with 40,000 handmade gold flowers for the perfect photogenic floral backdrop, the World’s Largest Indoor Confetti Dome, a Giant Rainbow complete with a Pot of Happiness into which guests can jump, the signature Rubber Ducky Bathtub of Fun plus other photo-friendly fantasy rooms.

Philadelphia’s HAPPY PLACE, which will also add special features unique to Philadelphia, will occupy the space once occupied by JCPenney at the King of Prussia Mall, which is located at 160 North Gulph Road in King of Prussia.

HAPPY PLACE at King of Prussia Mall will also bring its charity Lemonade Stand, to work with local non-profit organizations throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region. To date, HAPPY PLACE has donated over $100,000 to local groups in the four cities it has resided in.

Video link for HAPPY PLACE — https://youtu.be/_hR57sn6R-k.

HAPPY PLACE will be open though January 5 at the King of Prussia Plaza. Tickets start at $30 for adults and $20 for children (ages 4-12).

Now through October 20, King of Prussia will also be a place to go to enjoy a very special circus experience – Cirque Italia (https://cirqueitalia.com/).

The circus will take up residence at 160 North Gulph Road in King of Prussia for an 11-day run. Then, it will move west fro a four-say run from October 24-27 at 142 Park City Center in Lancaster.

Cirque Italia is the first traveling water circus in the United States.The circus’ stage holds 35,000 gallons of water and features a dynamic lid which lifts 35 feet into the air, allowing water to fall like rain from above as fountains dazzle below.

This incredible show takes place under “Grande Tenta” — the circus’ majestic white and blue big top tent which came all the way from Italy.

Cirque Italia is a European style circus show with no animals and a Las Vegas style water show. It’s a water spectacular similar to a smaller-scale Bellagio fountain show. With more than 30 artists, chosen in rigorous auditions from around 25 different countries, Cirque Italia delivers high-end entertainment at an affordable cost to nearly two million people in about 50 cities each year.

Video link for Cirque Italia – https://youtu.be/5-v5D6WH5pQ.

Ticket prices start at $25.

“Ghost Ship” (delawareriverwaterfront.com/ghostship), which is visiting Philadelphia’s waterfront through November, is the first major installation in Delaware River Waterfront Corporation’s ambitious new Waterfront Arts Program, which plans to bring a host of site-specific artworks to the waterfront alongside attractions like Cherry Street Pier and all the seasonal fun at Penn’s Landing.

The haunting 18th-century ship, which is 90 feet wide and 50 feet tall, appears under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, hovering over the water and looking every bit like a supernatural phenomenon that rose out of the depths of the dark river.

Estonia-based artist collective Biangle Studio created the three-dimensional work using light and jets of water, which make the ship look like it’s moving as the wind blows and the water shifts. It is meant to be examined from many angles along the banks of the Delaware River.

Inspired by the nuanced and complex history of the Delaware River in the 1700s, Biangle Studio created the site specific, three-dimensional light and water-based public art installation. The 18th-century ship appears on the Philadelphia Waterfront as Ghost Ship for the month of October to shine a light on the shared history of the Delaware River, and reflect on its role in shaping Philadelphia today.

Ghost Ship will be visible Wednesday through Sundays now through November 3 from 7-10 p.m. each night at the Race Street Pier, which is located at Race Street and North Christopher Columbus Boulevard.

Video link for “Ghost Ship” — https://youtu.be/ZCr-kLwVHfk.

Admission is free.

Stoudts Brewery (2800 North Reading Road, Adamstown, 717-484-4386, http://stoudts.com) is hosting “Mountain Xpress” on October 19 from 7-11 p.m. and “Oktoberfest with Die Schlauberger” on October 20 from 2-6 p.m.

The Stoudt family is carrying on its heritage in the Gemutlichkeit Bier Garden with a fun-filled family event held every Sunday in October.

The event features live German music, dancing, Stoudts award winning lagers and ales, hand-rolled soft pretzels from the Wonderful Good market, locally-produced German-style sausages and other delicious German food.

General Admission tickets are $10 with children under 11 admitted free.

Now through November 17, Elmwood Park Zoo (Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) will be presenting its annual “Harvest Fest.”

Visitors can participate in themed activities, navigate through a corn maze, play games like flip-a-chicken, bean bag toss, and basketball, paint a pumpkin, enjoy live entertainment, and sip on some festive fall drinks.

Hours are from noon-4 p.m. each day. Zoo admission is $17.95 for adults, $13.95 for children and $12.95 for seniors.

This is Halloween season and the list of special holiday-themed activities and events is seemingly endless.

The very popular annual West Chester Halloween Parade is scheduled for October 23. It will start at 7 p.m. on Market Street between Church and Darlington streets.

The parade will feature Marching Band Performances by West Chester East, Henderson and Rustin High Schools and West Chester University as well as Cheerleading Performances by Bishop Shanahan, West Chester East, Henderson and Rustin High Schools and Dance Team Performances by West Chester East, Henderson and Rustin High Schools.

For public safety, groups and floats will not be allowed to toss or handout candy during the parade. Donation Stations will be located among the parade route for children to collect one goody bag filled with surprises.

In conjunction with the parade, there will be $5 Parking in all borough garages and lots from 6-9 p.m.

The “Fifth Annual Spooky Seek & Find” will be held October 20 at Penn Township Park (260 Lewis Road., West Grove, penntownship.us).

The event, which is sponsored by Penn Township, will run from 2-4 p.m.

Featured activities include “Trunk or Treat,” Halloween Egg Hunt,” Face Painting, Magician, DJ, Kona Ice, “Race Car” Ride and Moon Bounces.

The event is free and open to the public.

The Marshallton Village Ghost Walk (https://www.facebook.com/events/2481497055504563/?active_tab=about ) will be held on October 20 in the heart of Marsallton.

The free event, which starts at 5 p.m., will feature a spooky walk throughout the town of Marshallton.

Participants will be able to enjoy refreshments and presentations from the Downingtown Paranormal Society at the Blacksmith Shop along with hayrides, music, face painting, ghost stories and more behind Four Dogs Tavern.

On October 19 and 26, the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation (Ridley Creek State Park, Media, 610-566-1725, www.colonialplantation.org) is presenting “Lantern Ghost Tours.”

Now in its fourth season, the Lantern Ghost Tours event runs from 6-9:30 p.m. each night in timed slots.

Space is limited, and tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets for the regular ghost tours are $13. The event is recommended for people 10 and older. No pets are allowed.

Since 1974 the Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation has given visitors a glimpse of 18th- century Pennsylvania farm life. Visiting the Plantation is an educational experience that is unique and unforgettable – and even a little scary on special nights.

On October 219 the “All Hallows Eve Fall Festival at Pennypacker Mills” (5 Haldeman Rd, Schwenksville, 610-287-9349, www.montcopa.org/pennypackermills). The event is free but there is a suggested donation of $2 per person.

The annual event, which is slated to run from 1-4 p.m., features tractor-pulled hayrides, pumpkin painting for kids, fall crafts, an apple cider press, corn shucking, a “Hay Pile Jump” and a bean bag toss.

On October 19 and 20, Chestnut Hill will be the site of the annual staging of the “Witches & Wizards Festival” weekend (Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill, https://chestnuthillpa.com/events/witches-wizards).

“Witches & Wizards” is a fall tradition that mixes one-part spooky thrills, one-part ghosts of wizards-past, and one-part family fun for an action-packed weekend in the charming urban village.
Kicking off with the revamped Brews & Broomsticks Pub Crawl on October 18 and continuing with a day full of family-friendly programming on October 19, the weekend offers “spooktacular entertainment and activities”

The event features familiar annual traditions such as the Ninth Annual Brotherly Love Cup Quidditch Tournament and Woodmere Art Museum Straw Maze, Visitors can also enjoy “Creepy Crafts for Kids” at Hocus Pocus Headquarters, live circus performers, an archery range, “Mad Science” demonstrations, “Harvest Hayrides,” shopping, and a variety of other family activities located throughout the Chestnut Hill Business District.

“Boo at the Zoo” (Brandywine Zoo, 1001 N. Park Drive, Wilmington, 302-571-7747, www.brandywinezoo.org) will be held on October 18 and 19 from 5-7 p.m. each night.

The popular annual non-scary family event features games, animal enrichment programs, live critters and trick-or-treating. Children (and their grown-ups) are encouraged to wear costumes. Tickets are $5.

“Boo at the Zoo” (Elmwood Park Zoo, Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) will be held October 19, 20, 26, and 27 and 28 from noon-3 p.m. each day.

“Boo at the Zoo” features live entertainment, costume contests, costume parades, trick-or-treat stations with candy, prizes, crafts and educational pieces.

Children are encouraged to bring their own treat bags for trick-or-treating. The zoo will not be providing any bags.

“Boo at the Zoo” is free with zoo admission, which is $17.95 for adults, $15.95 for students, $13.95 for children and $12.95 for seniors and children.

The Paws Discovery Farm (1105 Hainesport-Mount Laurel Rod, Mount Laurel, 856-778-8795, https://www.pawsdiscoveryfarm.com) will present “Paws Happily Haunted Halloween” on October 18 and 19 from 5-8 p.m.

The event will celebrate all things Halloween, including “spook-tacular stories,” Halloween-themed games, music and dancing, costume contests, snacks, animal encounters and more.

Tickets are $10.

The Woodlands (4000 Woodland Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-386-2181, http://woodlandsphila.org) is a 54-acre undulating landscape that is a one-of-a-kind 18th-century English pleasure garden and a 19th-century rural cemetery.

On October 20-+ from noon-3 p.m., the site is hosting its “Halloween Family Fun Day.”

Activities include “Halloween Scavenger Hunt,” “All Hallow’s Read,” “Mini Mutter Museum Pop Up,” “Bird Walks with Toribird,” and a “Pet Costume Contest.”

Corn mazes, along with hayrides, a pumpkin patch and scarecrows, will be featured at Ramsey’s Farm (Ramsey Road, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-477-1499,www.ramseysfarm.com). The new season runs on weekends now through October 30.

Ramsey’s “Pumpkin Patch” has been in operation since 1995 and the farm’s varied mazes have been delighting and baffling visitors who return each year for the popular annual event. The owners of Ramsey’s Farm raise pumpkins, gourds, ornamental corn, popcorn, feed corn and hay.

The farm’s pumpkin field stretches over 12 acres and yields approximately 20,000 pumpkins each season. Hayrides around the farm will be offered from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Visitors will be able to shop for pumpkins and other items at the farm store. There will also be hot food and beverages available for purchase.

Tickets are $8 for the corn maze, $5 for the sorghum maze, $3 for the hay maze, $3 for pumpkin painting and $3 for a hayride.

“Hurricane Hill Farm Maze” (Baldwin’s Farm, 704 East Reeceville Road, Coatesville, 610-384-6952, www.hhfmaze.com) will be open Saturdays and Sundays until November 3.

This event features miles of trails through acres of corn mazes.

 along with a corn slide, hayrides, a pumpkin patch and a farm animal display.

The site’s 2019 featured maze is a five-acre corn maze called “A Journey to Ancient Rome.”

Tickets are $14.

There will be plenty of activity at Cherry Crest Adventure Farm in Ronks (150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks, 717-687-6843, www.cherrycrestfarm.com).

The farm’s popular annual “Flashlight Maze” is now underway and will continue every Friday and Saturday night through November 4. Cherry Crest Adventure Farm has reserved several weekends during the autumn months for Flashlight Maze.

This special activity allows visitors to experience the Amazing Maize Maze in total darkness. All you need are flashlights and a few friends.

The Flashlight Maze is a nice, non-scary, Halloween alternative that has appeal for people of all ages. The Flashlight Maze, which has a $12 admission fee, is open from 6:30-10 p.m. with the last entrance into the Maze at 9 p.m.

The main attraction is Cherry Crest’s “Amazing Maize Maze,” which is billed as “the world’s most dynamic and interactive corn maze.” It is a five-acre corn maze with over two-and-one-half miles of paths, scenic bridges, and clues.

Participants can walk at their own pace as they encounter the “Kernels of Knowledge” along with a variety of clues, tunnel slides, and watering stations. They can also check out a bird’s eye view from the two bridges and watch everyone’s flags waving high above the corn.

The average time to complete the “Amazing Maize Maze” course is one hour. Ticket prices start at $19.

It’s time once again for the Scarecrow Competition and Display at Peddler’s Village (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, 215-794-4000, www.peddlersvillage.com). Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. both days. 

Visitors can stroll around the Village to see the Scarecrow Competition and Display, which showcases more than 100 creative and colorful scarecrows. The Scarecrows are on outdoor display through October 27.

The public is invited to vote for the winners. Ballots are available in all shops and restaurants. The ballot boxes are located in the Hospitality Center at the Cock ‘n Bull, Giggleberry Fair, and Buttonwood Grill.

Chaddsford Winery (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, www.chaddsford.com) is presenting its “Adult Trick or Treat” event every Saturday and Sunday through October 27. Tour Times Available at 11:30 a.m. and 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m.

Visitors will be able to “Trick or Treat” for wine and seasonal snacks at Chaddsford’s wildly popular, adults-only Halloween program as they visit a variety of Halloween-themed pairing stations located throughout the Winery grounds.

The “Pairing Menu” features “Dante’s Inferno” (Éclat Aleppo Chile Truffle + Hot Tamales candies with Sunset Blush + Tröegs Troegenator Double Bock), “Pumpkin Patch” (Scarecrow Slushie, garnished with a Halloween Peep + Warm Spiced Apple wine with a caramel Sugar Daddy Stirrer), “What Lurks Below” (Crab Mac N’ Cheese with ’17 Presage and Leviathan Wine Cocktail), “Mummies Tomb” (Garlic, Black Bean and Red Pepper Hummus Trio + Pita Chips with ’17 White Standard + ’17 The Red Standard), and “Zombie Yard” (“Dirt” Cupcake garnished with a Gummy Worm with ’17 Harbinger + Chaddsford Red).

Advanced tickets purchased online are $25 and include the food and beverage pairings, as well as a Halloween-themed keepsake wine glass.

“Terror Behind the Walls” (Eastern State Penitentiary, 2124 Fairmount Avenue, Philadelphia, 888-763-NITE, www.easternstate.org), will celebrate the new season with its opening weekend that starts today.

The truly scary attraction, which is running through November 10, takes place at a penitentiary site that was once was an active prison and is now a National Historic Landmark. It is a scream-inducing event featuring laser and special-effect lighting, digital sound, sinister scents, animatronic creatures and 3-D illusions.

Popular attractions include “Blood Yard,” “Infirmary,” “Machine Shop,” “Lock Down,” “Break Out!,” and “Quarantine 4D.”

Admission prices, which vary with the date, range from $19-$45.

Linvilla Orchards (137 West Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116, www.linvilla.com) is running full speed ahead with its 2019 edition of Pumpkinland.

The family-oriented activity features costumed characters, games and contests and live music.

Another attraction, which runs through October 30, is “Hayride to the Witch’s House.” Admission is free, and hayrides are $9 per person. There will also be “Harvest Hayrides” and “Autumn Moon Hayrides” starting later in September.

The 28th annual edition of “Haunted Hayride, Bates Motel and Haunted Corn Maze at Arasapha Farm” (1835 N. Middletown Rd., Gradyville, 610-459-0647,www.thebatesmotel.com) will be scaring visitors through October 31.

The haunted hayride through the woods features monsters, special effects and actors. The Bates Motel has haunted rooms with special effects and computerized lighting.

Another attraction is the “Revenge of the Scarecrow Haunted Trail.” A haunted trail is cut through a cornfield inhabited by monsters.

New attractions this year are “Zombie Hunt” and “Double Edge Axe Throwing.”

Admission prices are: Haunted Hayride, $20; Bates Motel, $15; Haunted Trail, $15; combination tickets, $40. There are reduced rates for children.

For “Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place” (100 Sesame Place, Langhorne, 215-752-7070, www.sesameplace.com), the popular amusement park has been converted into a Halloween-themed safe venue for kids with trick or treating, pumpkin decorating, hayrides and a hay maze.

Featured attractions, which will continue until November 3, are “Neighborhood Street Party Halloween Parade,” “Halloween Light Show,” and “The Not-Too-Spooky Howl-O-ween Radio Show .”

Admission to the park is $49.99.

Pennhurst Asylum (100 Commonwealth Drive, Spring City, 484-866-8964, www.pennhurstasylum.com), which is open through November 4, is on the site of a former mental asylum which has been shuttered for over a quarter of a century.

It has been transformed into a haunted attraction with huge sets, detailed rooms and live actors. Visitors can also explore the labyrinth of underground tunnels.

Tickets are $18 for each of the attractions with a variety of combo packages available.

“Great Pumpkin Fest and Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park” (3830 Dorney Park Road, Allentown, 610-395-3724, www.dorneypark.com) is running now through November 3.

The event features scary creatures roaming the park and scarecrows lining line the walkways while frightening activities take place at the following attractions — “FrightFeast,” “Port of Call,” “Necropolis,” “Age of Darkness” and “CarnEvil” along with seven mazes and four “Creepy Scare Zones.” Admission prices start at $29.99.

The “27th Annual Fright By Night” (Six Flags Great Adventure, Route 537, Jackson, NJ, 732-928-2000, www.sixflags.com), which is running now through November 3, features family-oriented activities during the day and much scarier attractions after dark for teens and adults.

The attractions include “Big Top Terror,” “Wicked Woods,” “Aftermath,” “Hell Fest,” “The Manor,” “Cell Block 6”,” and “Reflections of the Dead.”

Tickets start at $49.79.

Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (215-413-1997, www.ghosttour.com), Ghost Tour of Lancaster (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) and Ghost Tour of Strasburg (717-687-6687,www.ghosttour.com) operate through November and offer an eerily entertaining evening of true ghost stories and real haunted houses.

The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound. Tickets are $20.

Participants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from the Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $18.

The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $18.

The “34th Annual Jason’s Woods” (99 Stehman Road, Lancaster, 717-872-5768, www.jasonswoods.com), which is running through November 4, is a horror show complex that features a combination of live actors, impressive animation and scary special effects.

Popular attractions include “Horrifying Hayride,” “Chamber of Horrors,” “Zombie Apocalypse,” “Lost in Jason’s Woods,” and “Carnival of Fear,” Admission prices are for combo tickets are $25 for three attractions and $40 for five.

“Valley of Fear” (300 W. Bristol Road, Feasterville, 215-942-9787, www.valleyoffear.com), which is open through November 2, features four “heart pounding attractions” — “Haunted Hayride,” “Scarytales,” “The Facility,” and “Operation Z Escape.”

The attraction is billed as “America’s Most Horrifying Woods.” Admission prices start at $29.

The “26th Annual Field of Screams” (109 College Avenue, Mountville, 717-285-7748, www.fieldofscreams.com), which is open now through November 15, features four world-class Haunted Experiences and an impressive Midway Area. Top attractions include “Horrifying Haunted Hayride,” two massive Haunted Houses, and Wicked Haunted Woods.

Ticket prices start at $16.

The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire (Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire Shire, Mount Hope Estate and Winery grounds, Route 72, Cornwall, 717-665-7021,www.parenfaire.com) is hosting its “Halloween Daze & Spooky Knights II” event on October 19 and 20. It will also be a “Royal Dog Days” weekend.

From 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. each day, the huge faire will celebrate Halloween.

Three weekends of mystery and mayhem kick off this weekend as spooky creatures of every variety haunt the Shire. Visitors can join the good Shirefolk of Mount Hope for a grand All Hallows Eve celebration, complete with tricks and treats for children of all ages.
Featured events include “Scratchy’s Pumpkin Decorating,” “Halloween Treasure Hunt,” “Nipperkins Costume Exhibition” (ages 11 and under), and “Adult Costume Competition.”
With Royal Dog Days, His Majesty has issued an invitation to the lover of dogs to join him and the Royal Hounds upon the Fairegrounds Saturdays and Sundays in September.

Admission is $31.95 for adults and $11.95 for kids ages 5-11.

“Candlelight Ghost Tours” (Fort Mifflin, Fort Mifflin and Hog Island roads, Philadelphia, 215-685-4167, http://fortmifflin.us) are scheduled for October 18, 19, 25 and 31.

Visitors can tour historic (and haunted) Fort Mifflin by candlelight from 7-10 p.m. each night (6:30-8:30 on October 31) and hear true stories of ghostly encounters. This event is billed as an “authentic experience.”

Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children (12 and under).

October 19 is the date for “Ghosts in the Graveyard” (Old Swedes Historical Site, 606 Church Street, Wilmington, Delaware, 302-652-5629, www.oldswedes.org).

From 6:30-9 p.m. each night, visitors will be able to stroll through the complex, meet some of the ghosts who reside in the site’s burial grounds and maybe even solve the mystery of the late-night bell ringing at Old Swedes Church.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for students (ages 12-17).

October 19, the Kalmar Nyckel (1124 East Seventh Street, Wilmington, Delaware, www.kalmarnyckel.org) will be transformed into a “Halloween Ghost Ship.”

The event, which runs from 1-4 p.m., will feature crafts, activities, face painting and costume parade on its indoor “Ghost Ship” (a 3/4-scale model of our Tall Ship). Outside activities include Kalmar Nyckel Ship Tours and family friendly fun with a spooky maritime flare for kids of all ages.

The event is free and also features free parking.