October is a time for frights and fun for the whole family. From scary movies to haunted houses and magical in-person adventures, Halloweentime inspires a variety of experiences and events for everyone to participate in.
Here’s a list of fun events in or near the Salem area for the whole family in these final weeks leading up to Halloween. Events in each category are listed chronologically, and addresses are in Salem unless otherwise noted.
Spooky Sights
Nightmare Factory – Take a walk through this haunted house complete with actors and props for a full fright on Oct. 21, 22, 28, 29, 30 and 31. This event is a fundraiser for the Oregon School for the Deaf and is held on the school’s campus at 999 Locust St. N.E. in Salem. General admission tickets are $20.
Silver Crest Haunted House – Find family fun at the haunted house located at the Silver Crest Elementary School at 365 Loar Rd. S.E. in Silverton. It operates every Friday and Saturday in October from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. with a special “No Scare Kids Hour” on Saturdays from 6-7 p.m. General admission cost is $10, and $5 for the kids hour with proceeds going toward the school.
Fordyce Farms Haunted Corn Maze — Runs Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29 at the farm, 7023 Sunnyview Rd N.E., from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Admission $15. Not recommended for young children. May be canceled in case of heavy rain; check the farm website for latest information.
Stayton Ghost Tour and Historic Walk, a film – Enjoy the ghost tour and views of historic Stayton from the comfort of home. Tickets for the film are available for $5, between Oct. 23 and Nov. 5th.
Rocky Horror Picture Show – Enjoy the camp Halloweentime classic at the Elsinore Theater on Oct. 28 at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 the day of the show.
Tales of Terror — Join actors from Enlightened Theatrics for a performance reading of classic horror stories at the Salem Public Library, 585 Liberty St. S.E. Two shows – Oct. 28 from 6-7 p.m. and Oct. 29 from 1-2 in the Loucks Auditorium. Performance intended for mature audiences.
Games Gone Wild Haunted House — The Salem Public Library’s Teen Advisory Board invites families to a haunted house themed around children’s board games. Open Oct. 29 from 1-3 p.m. in the library’s Anderson Room A&B. Scares are suitable for elementary school-aged children, but visitors of all ages are welcome. 585 Liberty St. S.E.
Farms and Fall
Bauman’s Cider Festival – Sip local cider and get in the fall spirit during the festival at Bauman’s on Oct. 29. Cider festival tickets are $25 a piece, and comes with admission to the festival as well as a tasting glass and five tasting tickets. Buy online or at the booth in-person at 12989 Howell Prairie Rd. NE in Gervais. The farm is also open Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., through Oct. 31 for its Harvest Festival, featuring activities including its corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay rides and more.
E.Z. Orchards HarvestFest runs through Oct. 30 at 5504 Hazelgreen Road N.E. The farm is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Activities include hay rides, a pumpkin patch, petting zoo and more. Admission is $6 on weekdays and $10 on weekends and on Friday, Oct. 28.
Fordyce Farms Pumpkin Patch at 7023 Sunnyview Rd N.E. is open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays from 12-6 p.m. in October. Admission to the pumpkin patch and farm is free, and paid activities are available, including a corn maze and corn cannon. Haunted corn maze available Oct. 21, 22, 28 and 29, with $15 admission per person.
Trick or Treating
Liberty Christian Church Community Trunk Or Treat – on Saturday, Oct 29 from 6-7 p.m. Address is 4764 Skyline Rd S.
Cherry City Bombers Car Club Trunk or Treat — From 12-4 p.m. on Oct. 29, 3840 River Rd N., Keizer. Participating cars must be parked by 11 a.m. and should bring their own candy to hand out. Prizes for the spookiest car decorations.
45th Parallel Building Trick or Treat – The 45th Parallel Building, 2195 Hyacinth St. N.E., will hold its annual trick-or-treat on Oct. 29 from 3-6 p.m. where kids can visit different businesses.
Gilbert House Children’s Museum will host its annual “Halloween Re-Engineered” event on the sidewalk outside the museum on Sunday, Oct. 30 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kids can get candy from a variety of machines and gizmos while showing off their costumes. Kids must register in advance, with a cost of $5 per child. More information and tickets are available on the Gilbert House website.
Willamette Heritage Center’s Drive-Thru Trick or Treat returns Sunday, Oct. 30 from 12-4 p.m. Local businesses and nonprofits will pass out candy to kids in vehicles in the center’s parking lot, 1313 Mill Street S.E. The event is free and no pre-registration is needed.
Trick or Treat at Deepwood invites kids 10 and under to visit the museum, 1116 Mission St. S.E., on Halloween from 2-5 p.m. for a treat bag. The event is free.
Prince of Peace Trunk or Treat – Prince of Peace Episcopal Church will host a Trunk or Treat from 3-6 p.m. on Halloween in the Peace Lutheran parking lot at 1525 Glen Creek N.W. People will decorate their car trunks for kids to stop by, and in addition to candy, they will give out free school supplies.
Goblin Walk in Silverton — Downtown Silverton businesses will hand out candy from 4-6 p.m. on Halloween. Look for an orange pumpkin sign outside participating businesses.
South Salem High School Trick or Treat Community Party – SSHS will have their annual community party on Oct. 31, with doors decorated by students throughout the building and passing out candy to trick or treaters. The event is from 6 – 7:30 p.m. and free, however the school will be collecting canned good donations.
Fun for the Family
Powerland Halloween Willamette Wizards Academy – Looking for a fun, treats-only event for kids? Willamette Wizards Academy is a non-scary, magical adventure as kids seek to retrieve a dragon egg stolen by gnomes. Take a trolley ride, get a wand, visit fairyland and pick up pumpkins on your way out. Events are every weekend on Saturday and Sunday in October at Powerland Heritage Park at 3995 Brooklake Rd N.E. in Salem. Tickets are $16 a person, but children under 2 years old are free.
Scareousel at Salem’s Riverfront Carousel, Oct. 29, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free activities include take home coloring pages and a pumpkin weighing guessing game. For $10, get 4 carousel rides, a hot dog, popcorn and Halloween goody bag. Carved pumpkins for sale.
Aeterna – Community Dia De Los Muertos event at Salem Art Association, Oct. 29, 6-9 p.m at the Bush Barn Art Center in Bush’s Pasture Park, 600 Mission St. S.E. There will be music, traditional dancing, and Mexican food and beverages. The event coincides with the Aeterna exhibit, a community altar created by artist Eddie Caine on display through Nov. 5.
Halloween Craft Party — Elementary school-aged kids and their grown-ups are invited to make Halloween-themed crafts at the Salem Public Library, 585 Liberty St. S.E., from 2-3 p.m. on Oct. 29. Event held in the children’s corner on the second floor.
Halloween Dress Rehearsal – The Salem Police Department invites kids and their families to attend in costume and practice being safe on Halloween night. Officers will discuss traffic and pedestria n safety, with giveaways and activities for kids. Oct. 29, 3-5 p.m. at the police station community room, 333 Division St N.E.
Halloween Open Skate Event – Take your skates out for a spin and show your best costume on Oct. 29 at the NPJ Sports Complex at 4050 Fairview Industrial Drive S.E. in Salem. Event is from 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Northgate Park’s “Fun and Safe Halloween” Event – This free Halloween event will include activities for the whole family, including a costume contest, pumpkin and face painting, bracelet making, and bite-the-apple. The event will be at 3575 Fairhaven Ave. NE in Salem on Oct. 30 from 3-5:30 p.m.
Fairmount Halloween Parade — Kids in costume and their families are invited to walk through the Fairmount neighborhood in south Salem for the 11th year. Meet at Fairmount City Park, 650 Rural Ave. S., at 5 p.m. on Oct. 31.
Free Halloween Meal at Yum Yum Teriyaki – The restaurant will provide a free meal and fun memory for the first 100 kids age 12 or under, in hopes of supporting low-income families in the area before they go out for a night of trick or treating. Costumes are encouraged, and the event will be at the restaurant located at 2927 Broadway St. NE in Salem on Oct. 31 from 5-7 p.m.
Contact reporter Jordyn Brown at [email protected].
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Jordyn Brown is an Oregon journalist who formerly worked for the Eugene Register-Guard.
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
