Berkshire Ramblings: October 2009

Aside from the usual "college kid pranks" and general kiddie Trick-Or-Treating, I didn't expect much from this area for interesting Halloween Happenings...but boy was I wrong!!! First of all, I was really impressed with some of the yard and door decorations my neighbors had put up.

Some were cute and clever...

decorative and child friendly....

While some were downright creepy!

And others...well...

I'm not sure I'd want to have a tea party with the creators of these morbid things!

EEEK!

GALA in Williamstown on Route 2, is having their Costume Party early...this THURSDAY Night. Should be a blast with Mark Denning Entertainment, Drinks, Costume Contest, Appetizers, Karaoke and a Fried Candy Buffet! Imagine the great "sick" you'll have the morning after all THAT!

Hey, ghosts in little groups all over town?

What's with all these little batches of "ghosties"?

Well for $50, local businesses and people paid the town's Milne Library to "Haunt" their lawn with a flock of 10 little Ghosts. Some generous businesses got more than one flock. Proceeds pay for the special Haunted Halloween festivities coming up.

It's a cool weekend of Halloween events at the Library and surrounding buildings!

These activities include a "Haunted Tour" that goes through "centuries of eery local history", dead author readings, (like Edgar Allan Poe and H G Wells), a Costume Party (for 16 and overs) on Friday Night,($10 per person) and a FREE kids "Halloween Afternoon" on Saturday, with costumes, treats, games, a more light-hearted Tour, and a Magician! Adult Tours both nights are $8 per person.

Whitneys Farm in Lanesboro has tons of cool painted and plain and unique green Pumpkins.

Have a looksee for your yard and stair decorations!

I love their CORN MAZE! Lots of fun...and there are tunnels to crawl through and spooky critters hung to scare you within it's stalky walls.

CREEPY BIG decorations in the trees!

There is a petting zoo for the kids, a graveyard, and that means tons of PHOTO OPS! Attention scrapbookers.

St John's Church will open it's doors for a fun post- Halloween kids shindig on SUNDAY Nov 1 st (2-4pm) in the afternoon. A safe and happy party for the little ones, but parts are actually a tad scary. Check out the Black Widow Cafe, Haunted Forest and Witches Brewery!

Take a stroll through one of our local REAL cemetaries...like this one on route 2 in North Adams...doesn't it take on a creepy atmosphere this time of year? (I'll be doing a special blog JUST on cemetaries and graveyards soon...watch for it!)

IOKA VALLEY FARM in Hancock has really pulled out the stops for this season...from 10-5:30 on Saturday, go for a Spooky Hayride!

Play all kinds of games like Pumpkin Racers or Pumpkin SLINGSHOTS! (wow!)

Pick through their creepy, nobby, colorful ghourds.

...and pose in their humorous cemetary.

Lots of maple products & other retail stuff at the Calf-A! Enjoy lunch and treats there too! Always a wonderful visit here for any season!

Hey, you want to see one of the most HAUNTED places in New England? This is for real! The HOUGHTON MANSION in North Adams. It's a Masonic Lodge right now, but also houses a paranormal group that has ongoing investigations. You can book a building tour...way cool. Here is their link... http://houghton-mansion.tripod.com/index.html They have photos of the inside.

Hey, some creative, (nutty/out-there) person has made a special "CEMETARY" out of their yard...You can view it on the road to Mt. Greylock Visitors Center in Lanesboro...

Gross!

Check out these unusual graves...

...and ghouls! Yikes!
There are lots of private and public parties around town in North Adams and Williamstown. Check for signs along the road on rte 8 and rte 2.
Kids can Trick Or Treat around the neighborhoods from 6pm until 7:30pm.
If you can travel a little bit, the BENNINGTON BANNER HAUNTED HOUSE (in the rear of their Banner building) on Union Street in Bennington, VT (about 20 minutes away from us) is a definite GO TO. A haunted maze, 15 or so live (or is that DEAD) characters to make you scream, and cool spooky gadgets and props within. That runs from 8pm to 10pm on Halloween and is for older kids and adults only.

THE MOUNT down in Lenox, MA (normally quite a serious institution) is having a Haunted Tour, with readings from Edith Wharton's favorite dark authors... Call for reservations.

"The hills have eyes!" AAAAhhhhhhhhhh!

BERKSHIRE SCENIC RAILROAD in Lenox is having Halloween Rides at 12:15 and at 2:20 on Halloween. Their ad explains: Get into the "spirit" with our fun Halloween Trains! Come in costume and enjoy a spooktacular time riding the rails with our friendly witches - each child receives a free small pumpkin after the train ride. No advance reservations required."

There will be a Halloween Music Concert in Pittsfield at the BERKSHIRE MUSIC SCHOOL.