Daily [Halloween] Spin 10.30.09

It is with a heavy heart that I bring you the very last Halloween Spin of 2009. Where has the season gone?! And more importantly, how have I gotten through it without using the expression "boo-ya" in one single post? (Oh wait...) It seems like just yesterday that I cracked open the inaugural bag of candy corn pumpkins. Now all I have to show for myself is a wad of empty bags and a pile of Hershey Kiss wrappers. (But hopefully not a few extra pounds.) These treats, like the season itself, have been positively delicious and I'm counting on my fond memories of them to sustain me through the cold, coasterless winter months. Let's not jump the gun, though. We still have a few days of devilish fun left to enjoy!

Are you ready to get Bitten? Look no further than the Wisconsin Dells. This year marks the debut of Mt. Olympus's Haunted Night at the Theme Park, and they are not messing around. The headliner of this event is "Bitten", a haunted house billed as one of Wisconsin's largest. You will also find a hay bale maze, an assortment of "hidden spooks", and the largest mummified horse in the world. (I assume this means that they've "mummified" the signature Trojan horse that's featured on one of their go-kart tracks--how cool!) But here's where Mt. Olympus really breaks the mold: Whereas most parks forbid guests to wear costumes to their Halloween events, this park encourages it. In fact, if you show up in full costume, they will actually give you $5 of "Spooky Bucks" to spend in the park!

If the name of your park actually has the word "Ghost" in it, you darn well better do something special for Halloween. Ghost Town in the Sky has obliged by bringing us the House of Terror. Featuring over 15 spine-tingling rooms, a cemetery, and two mazes, this sounds like one heck of a horrifying experience. And it better be for the price tag: $20 for adults and $10 for children, or $10 for all ages if purchased with park admission. Yikes! Would it sweeten the deal if I told you that Cliff Hanger is now open? (Again?) 'Cause it is, and that's no trick!

Turns out sea creatures celebrate Halloween, too. Who knew? I'll tell you who: SeaWorld Orlando. Their Halloween Spooktacular features fun-filled activities for the entire family. Just follow the Underwater FantaSea path to the various treasure stations, where you will find everything from face painting to a special "Countdown to Halloween" performance put on by your favorite Sesame Street characters. Did I mention that you can also collect goodies at each of those stations? Bonus! But the most intriguing part of this event (to me, anyway) has got to be the "interactive ice DJ" who can be found in the Frozen Fun Zone. I have no idea what that means, but it sounds pretty "cool".

If you find yourself in the general vicinity of Oklahoma City on this most glorious last weekend of the Halloween season, you can lasso yourself some seasonal fun at Frontier City. This park's rendition of Fright Fest appears to be notably tame compared to that which can be found at some of its sister parks. It's heavy on shows and children's activities, with many of the latter taking place in BooVille. (Does everyone stand in a circle around a giant pumpkin, clasping hands and singing, "Welcome Halloween, Halloween Day"?) But fear not (or, fear--as you choose), my fellow terror junkies. You can get yours in the inferno-themed House of Screams.

This concludes our nickel tour of a thoroughly random selection of the various Halloween events taking place across the country in 2009. With any luck, you've made it to at least one of them. If not, the clock is ticking so get out there and scare up some fun! I fully intend to do the same. Happy Halloween!