Halloween is not just for trick-or-treating and dressing up. Costume parties, haunted trails, stage shows and historic walks are among the variety of festive fall activities going on in Columbia this week. Whether you're scared of being scared or delighted by horror, there's something for everyone.
CAYCE-WEST COLUMBIA JAYCEES' HALL OF HORRORS
Where: 1153 Walter Price Road, Cayce, S.C.
When: Oct. 28 – 31
Hall of Horrors is a haunted house tour sponsored by the Cayce-West Columbia Jaycees. The tour runs Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and on Halloween, Oct. 31, at 6:30 p.m., and all tours last until the last group leaves. Tickets are $13 for regular admission or $20 for a VIP pass, which allows patrons to skip to the front of the line. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at hallofhorrors.com (a $1 convenience fee is added to the cost of online tickets). All proceeds from Hall of Horrors benefit local charities, including South Carolina Jaycee Camp Hope, a program for mentally challenged children and adults.
SCARECROWS IN THE GARDEN
Where: Robert Mills House and Gardens, 1616 Blanding St.
When: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. / Sunday 1 – 5 p.m. through Oct. 31
If daytime fall fun is more your speed, enjoy a walk through the historic Robert Mills House and Gardens and view an array of scarecrows handcrafted by local schools, businesses, organizations and families. No two scarecrows are identical, and they range in theme from historical to quirky to spooky. The Scarecrows in the Garden tour also includes a scavenger hunt as part of the fun. The "Sneaky Steve" scarecrow will be hidden somewhere on the property, but it moves to a new location each week. Scarecrows in the Garden is free and open to the public.
SCAROWINDS
Where: Carowinds Theme Park, 14523 Carowinds Blvd., Charlotte, N.C.
When: Oct. 27 – 30, 7 p.m. – midnight (except Oct. 29, open 7 p.m. – 1 a.m.)
If Columbia's Halloween attractions aren't scary enough for you, thrill seekers can get their scream on at Scarowinds. Charlotte's Carowinds Theme Park got a spooky makeover for the month of October, and the scary fun is just a short car ride away from Columbia. Scarowinds features several haunted attractions including Fury, a twisted military facility; Defex, an assembly line full of defective toys; and Dead Inn, a bed bug–infested inn. Scarowinds attendees can also check out Last Laff 3-D, a multimedia attraction that isn't recommended for those with coulrophobia, a fear of clowns. General admission tickets for Scarowinds are $45.99. Check out carowinds.com for special online discounts.
COLUMBIA CITY BALLET'S "DRACULA: BALLET WITH A BITE"
Where: Koger Center, 1051 Greene St.
When: Oct. 27, 28 & 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Columbia City Ballet brings the creepy factor to the Koger Center stage with its production of "Dracula: Ballet with a Bite." The show has become a Halloween tradition in Columbia, but don't expect to see the same show you saw in years past. New music and updated costumes will give fresh blood to the ballet, which mixes edgy, modern choreography with a classic horror story. Oct. 27 is student night; all students with identification get a $10 ticket good for seats in any section of the theater.
CAROLINA PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS: "THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW"
Where: Russell House Theater
When: Oct. 30 at 9 p.m.
MTV Studios has confirmed a remake of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," set to hit theatres in 2012. It's unlikely that the new version will outshine the original, so see the 1975 version before the reboot is released. If you've never seen the cult classic film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," you're missing out on a Halloween tradition. Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and Meat Loaf star in this madcap adventure, which will be showing in the Russell House Theater on Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. The special screening is free for students with CarolinaCards.
HALLOWEEN NIGHT COSTUME BASH AT 701 CCA
Where: 701 Center for Contemporary Art, 701 Whaley St.
When: Oct. 31, 7 p.m. – midnight
Hipsters looking for a budget-friendly Halloween party can rejoice. 701 Center for Contemporary Art is hosting a Halloween Costume Bash on Halloween night, and tickets are only $15. The party includes original décor pieces by local artists. The bash's main event is an "Uncommon Costume Contest." Partygoers can compete for Best Group Costume, Best Concept Art Costume, Best Individual Costume and Best Non-Sexy Costume. Prizes include a free class pass to City Yoga, gift certificates to Drip Coffee and Hip-Wa-Zee and more. The costume contest will be judged by Columbia celebrities including Mayor Steve Benjamin, USC Art Department Chair Brad Collins, The Shop Tart's Anne Postic and South Carolina Philharmonic Conductor Morihiko Nakahara. The party will also feature a DJ and dancing, a screening of campy horror film "Troll 2," a food truck food court in the parking lot and Jasper Magazine's Ghost Story Salon upstairs in the Olympia Room.
WUSC 90.5 FM DANCE OF THE DEAD FUNDRAISER
Where: Various locations
When: Oct. 27 – 31, Nov. 5
WUSC 90.5 FM is giving students an opportunity to hear cool music, celebrate Halloween and contribute to a good cause. The radio station is hosting Dance of the Dead, a series of events to raise funds for the upcoming semester. The fundraiser kicks off with a screening of "Tucker & Dale vs. Evil" at the Nickelodeon Theatre at 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 27. On Oct. 28, support WUSC by attending a concert by Mentat Routage at Conundrum Music Hall at 8 p.m. At noon on Oct. 29, WUSC will hold a party on the Russell House Patio. At 4:30 p.m., put on your best zombie attire and join WUSC DJs on a Zombie Walk to El Burrito, where The Front Bottoms, Those Lavender Whales and Marshall Brown will entertain the crowd. There will be music on Greene Street at 11 a.m. on Oct. 31. The fundraiser ends with a dance party at Five Points Pub at 9 p.m. on Nov. 5.