Valley Family Fun: Haunted Houses and Kids

Valley Family Fun: Haunted Houses and Kids
By Laura Churchill Duke

There are a lot of things happening in the Valley this year to get you in the Halloween mood.

First, every year, for the two weekends before Hallowe’en, Annapolis Royal turns into a ghost town! The Historic Gardens become the Ghostly Gardens and you can visit by night, or, if that is a bit too much, you can go see it in daylight, too! Annapolis Royal has a lot of other events, too, including pumpkin carving parties, organ music, and a screening of a Charlie Brown movie! Find details at exploreghosttown.com.

Several communities are offering Hallowe’en parties or family dances for kids. Black River, New Minas, and Windsor all have great events. There is the annual Spooktacular happening at Willowbank Farm in Port Williams in support of Big Brothers and Big Sisters on October 27. All these details can be found on the Valley Family Fun calendar.

If you are looking for something a bit spookier, try one of the many haunted houses in the area. This year, you can find them in Kentville, Middleton, Wolfville, Hantsport, and Greenwich [see “Where to Get Your Scare” in this issue for details].

Before you go, make sure your kids are ready for it. We had a terrible parenting moment a few years ago when we forced our kids through the haunted house, thinking it would get better. It didn’t.

Talk to your kids before you go and make sure they really want to go. Before you go in, make sure you know where the exits are and if you can leave in the middle, and the refund policies. If your child is asking to leave, let them. Trust me.

Many of the haunted houses have a pared down version that is good for kids and families. Do your research and find out when these are happening.
Have a spooky Halloween, but not too spooky!

valleyfamilyfun.ca