Enter if You Dare: Halloween Activities Around Vancouver or Adults

This Halloween promises plenty of scares, even for adults, so venture into a haunted house, hop on a ghost train or join the parade of the dead

 

After a certain age, Halloween takes on a different meaning. Instead of embarking on a hunt for free candy and dressing up as your favourite superhero, you’re more likely to get dangerously inebriated in a costume that resembles the x-rated version of that childhood superhero.

Sure, things have changed since you were a kid, but Halloween still retains a bit of that old magic. Spending ridiculous amounts of money on a costume, looking foolish and enjoying a night out on the town harkens back to a time of free-spiritedness and whimsy. Who wouldn’t want to recapture that feeling?

For the inner child in all of us, here is a list of Halloween activities happening in and around Vancouver to help you conjure up some spooky fun.

 

Halloween events in Vancouver that will scare you stiff

This frightening attraction has been said to rival scary houses at professional entertainment parks in North America. (Image: Reapers Haunted Attraction)

 

Reapers Haunted Attraction (Chilliwack Haunted House and Maze), September 30 – Oct 31
If you’re willing to venture beyond the city, check out this chilling haunted house and maze. Lisa and Gary Moran have been scaring local kids since 1994, but the scale and success of the haunted house have increased and now it was one of the most popular haunted houses in BC. The duo promises that by the end of the night, adults will be shrieking like little kids. Bring a can of food to donate to the Salvation Army and you’ll save $1 off of admission.

 

Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train October 7 – 31
The Stanley Park Ghost Train has the distinction of being one of the city’s most family-friendly Halloween attractions. The theme is reinvented annually, and this year brings us the Circus of Disaster. Parents can nurture their children’s fear of clowns while participating in face painting, pumpkin carving and a haunted maze, all included in the price of a ride ticket.

 

Meet your trolley host. Next stop: Scaresville! (Image: Vancouver Trolley Tour)

 

Haunted Halloween Vancouver Trolley Tour October 12 – 31

Those tourist-filled trolleys you see circling Stanley Park throughout the year? They serve a greater purpose for during Halloween. For a few weeks in October, anyone 13 and older can board the trolley to see some of the eerie locales around the city, like Mountain View Cemetery and the autopsy room of the Vancouver Police Museum. To set the mood, a costumed storyteller provides gruesome details of the murders that took place, as well as insight into the troubled spirits that still lurk in these areas. Perfect if you’re looking for some real-life scares. Be sure to make a reservation as the tours fill up quickly.

 

Ghouls and rides abound at Fright Nights at the PNE. (Image: Fright Night)

Fright Nights at the PNE October 14 – 31
If you missed your allotted intake of deep-fried dough and a ride on the wooden roller coaster this summer, have no fear—it can still be accomplished. With five haunted houses and rides like the Pirate Ship and the Corkscrew included with admission (riding at in the dark makes for a completely different experience), Fright Nights is sure to provide some spine-chilling amusement park fun. Buy your tickets online and save $3 on admission—that’s the price of a bag of mini doughnuts!

 

Dozens of terrifying personalities await you in the Dunbar Haunted House. (Image: Flickr / Dunbar Haunted House)

Dunbar Haunted House (now moved to 8934 Shaughnessy Street) October 14 – 31
Knowing your admission fee is going to charitable causes and having the chance to wander through one of the city’s most popular haunted houses is definitely a win-win. Last year, the Haunted House had more than 15,000 scare-seekers pass through its frightening interior. This year’s theme is “Barbaric British Columbia,” so expect to see some of BC’s more iconic aspects given a ‘horror’ makeover.

A two-week festival offering workshops and crafts will lead up to reveal of the top-secret route for this year’s Secret Souls Walk. (Image: Secret Souls Walk)

Secret Souls Walk (formerly Parade of Lost Souls), October 29
Nothing says scary like a walk through East Van! But all joking aside, the event is a great way to enjoy Commercial Drive and the surrounding neighbourhood in costume while being entertained by a ghoulish procession and a fireworks finale. The unique community and its residents are what make this event interesting, so be sure to check it out.

 

While costume tastes change over time, and trick-or-treating becomes a thing of the past, one thing doesn’t change—Halloween is always fun, no matter what your age. And with all the events and festivities happening in and around the city, it will be impossible to resist getting swept up in all the Halloween hoopla.

 

So don your grown-up costume and immerse yourself in the holiday—or at the very least, troll the streets and scare the wits out of some unsuspecting youngsters.