Halloween is a weird day to make plans for. Not weird in and eerie or spooky sense, but in the way that it's not really a holiday, but it requires a lot of effort to fully commit to. Fortunately, Vancouver has a ton of ghoulish events happening today that are perfect for anyone, or any family that's seeking out a bit of spooky Halloween fun. From family-friendly tricks to totally frightening treats, here are the top Halloween events happening today in Vancouver.
KID FRIENDLY
Bring your kids after school, load up on candy, share some scares and finish up with plenty of time to reach your next trick-or-treating destination! This Halloween, Wesbrook Village will transform into a ghoulish trick-or-treating extravaganza, making for one of the most memorable kid-friendly events of the season. Here’s why you and your kids will love it.
There has been an alien invasion in Stanley Park! Journey into the restricted zones and witness the landing on this year’s Stanley Park ghost train. Riders will venture through a magical world inspired by Halloween and other spooky tales. In addition to the train, looks forward to a Haunted Maze, exhibits by the Stanley Park Ecology Society and a pumpkin patch. The entire site is wheelchair accessible. Be sure to dress warmly.
Li’L Haunters at Potter’s House of Horrors
From the minds behind Surrey’s very scary Potter’s House of Horrors, Li’l Haunters is a kids-only attraction with two mini haunted houses that are perfect for kids. The Mystic Village house includes a slightly creepy ghost town that sets the tone for fun to follow with the magic and mystery of House #2, Spooky Castle. No animatronics or actors are used in either house. Braver kids may want to check out Family Hour at Potter’s House of Horrors, but remember that the Potter’s regular haunted house is not for the faint of heart.
VanDusen Glow in the Garden invites you to join us this Halloween for an adventure through a whimsical garden. Discover curious twists and magical moments from the classic tale—Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Follow the white rabbit on a wondrous walk with zany lights and sounds, and illuminated pumpkin caricatures. Visitors of all ages will enjoy tasty treats, crafts and much more.
Sea to Sky Gondola Trick or Treat
The Sea to Sky Gondola welcomes costume-clad trick-or-treaters of all ages for an afternoon of seasonal surprises, face-painting and Trick or Treating. The first 250 trick-or-treaters are invited to pick up a special bag to decorate in the Basecamp Cafe. Admission is free with gondola lift tickets or a valid season/annual pass.
North Van’s family operated scare fest is back for another year of screams! Held in eerie shipping containers, the Valley Haunt is will consist of a thrilling walk-through haunt with tons of terrifying encounters! It’s a bone-chilling attraction featuring everything from scary clowns to bloodthirsty butchers. Recommended for ages 10+, but all ages are welcome.
A kid-friendly Halloween outing! Participating candy-giving merchants will have a pumpkin decal on their front door or window. Trick or treat down through the charming Heights of Burnaby! Next head over to the Burnaby Central Railway at Confederation Park for the Annual Spooky (but not too spooky) Halloween Trains in the Dark.
What's Halloween without some free candy? Learn about the city's best trick-or-treating spots HERE.
HALLOWEEN FUN
Photo courtesy Thomas Haas
Don't waste your super cool costume at home, go party! Better than the sharpest chainsaw in the shop, our friends at Do604 bring you the Halloween Survival Guide for 2017. Do more, have fun!
The Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour
The year was 1898. After a night of whiskey and cards at the saloon, gold prospector John Bray staggered out onto the streets of Gastown. He never made it back to his hotel. Robbed and shot three times in the head, he spent two delirious weeks roaming the streets before the bullets finally killed him. Venture into Vancouver’s earliest and most gruesome history this Halloween season on the Lost Souls a Gastown. Designed for adult audiences, the Lost Souls of Gastown is both a walking tour and a theatre piece. Based on documented Vancouver history, the plot weaves through back streets and alleyways to a dramatic finale in the heart of Gastown’s Maple Tree Square.
Halloween should be about so much more than just cheap candy. Check out all the city's best spooky treats HERE.
A beautiful building with a little extra ‘spook’. Being a heritage home, it has its own natural creepiness, but this West End mansion will bring extra scares with its haunted house outfitting. Walking through the house takes only 5 minutes and tickets are $3.
SUPER SCARY
The PNE’s iconic Halloween celebration is back for another year of absolutely grotesque terror. This year, a new brood of mutants are waiting for you within Fright Nights’ 8 haunted houses (including their new house, The Bloodshed). The family of cannibals will jump out, scream and chase you throughout Fright Nights next-level houses of horror. In addition to the scare tactics, you can enjoy 5 new rides and live performances throughout the week.
Who thought a farm and nursery could be so frightening? Now in its 14th year, Potters House of Horrors has mutated into an all-out maze of terror, outfitted with all the latest animatronics, digital sounds, high-tech scares and trained actors, making for one of the most spine tingling event of the season. Wander Potters’ two houses, Monstrosity and Devil’s Descent and be prepared to encounter screeching monsters, space age terror, gasping zombies and more.
An asylum themed haunt complete with twisted Doctors and a 22,000 sq. ft black out Maze of Terror that includes a Chainsaw yielding killer, roaming the maze with a real chainsaw. Yikes! Maybe that’s why Reapers has been called the “scariest indoor theatrical horror experience in Western Canada.”
Super scary movies at the Rio Theatre and Cinematheque
If you were ever going to watch a horror movie, it should be during Halloween! Fortunately art-house haven, The Cinematheque and East Van film hub, The Rio are screening every terrifying classic you can imagine. See everything from Poltergeist (1982) to The Exorcist(directors cut) and a 35mm screening of David Lynch’s Lost Highway. There’s something about seeing a scary movie in a theatre that makes it way more disturbing, so have fun!
