Halloween happenings in and around Princeton and MERCER county

It’s time for spooks and spirits and things that go bump in the night (probably looking for the last Snickers bar in the Treat bag)! Halloween began with the ancient Celts, who considered October 31 the last day of the year. On that night, they believed the spirits of the dead would roam the Earth. As a way to protect themselves during this spooky time, the living would hold a feast, visiting neighbors for contributions of food (hey, any excuse for a party).

We can thank the Irish for the jack-o-lantern, too. They used to carve turnips and place a small candle inside to keep evil spirits from their home on All Hallow’s Eve. When Irish immigrants came to America, they discovered pumpkins were much easier to carve.

Halloween has become second only to Christmas in spending. We’ll drop 2.5 billion this year – which is a lot of Milk Duds. But whether you go all out with a front-yard display that rivals Disney’s Haunted Mansion, or keep it simple with a single pumpkin in the window, remember to watch out for ghoulies and ghosties in your neighborhood!

Last-Minute Costume Ideas

Static Cling
Wear a solid color, like all white or all black. With safety pins, pin anything from socks, to underwear, even dryer sheets, all over yourself. For extra-“static,” use hairspray to put your hair on end.

Crash Test Dummy (Post-Crash)
Don a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. Cover yourself with pieces of masking tape, bandages, fake blood – and a seatbelt made of webbing and an old buckle.

Skunk
Wear all black (a black leotard and tights is perfect) and put a white tape stripe down the back.

Halloween Safety Tips

· Welcome Trick-or-Treaters with porch lights and all exterior lights turned on.
· Set a time limit for your kids to "trick-or-treat" and designate a specific route for them to take. Also, feed the kids before they go so they’ll be less likely to scarf their treats before they get home (well, one can hope).
· Chocolate is poisonous to many animals, so keep candy away from pets.
· Keep pets in a separate room during trick-or-treat hours; people in strange garb can be scary.
· When driving, be extra-alert for excited kids, whose vision may be obscured by masks.

Haunted Houses

Weeping Willow Haunted Cemetery
Keyport, NJ, 07735
http://www.weepingwillowcemetery.com/

A Kingdom For A Stage
Cherry Lane
West Orange, NJ, 07052
732-356-1497
http://www.njkingdom.com/

The Haunted Woods of Oldbridge
75 Springhill Road
Matawan, NJ, 07747
http://haunted-woods.com/

Terror On Independence
305 independence drive
Forked River, NJ, 08731
http://www.freewebs.com/austin16/

Nightmares Haunted Attraction
Depiero's Country Farm
300 Grand Avenue
Montvale, NJ, 07645
http://www.night-mares.com/

Madness on Meadow Lane
141 Route 17 South
Paramus, NJ, 07652
http://www.madnessonmeadowlane.com/

Infection
18 Turner Street
Eatontown, NJ, 07724
http://home.comcast.net/~twistedrails/haunt/index.htm

Haunted Union
2118 Briarwood Lane
Union, NJ, 07083
http://www.hauntedunion.com/

Frightful Nights
2401 Route 31 South
Glen Gardner, NJ, 08826
http://www.frightfulnights.com/

Corner of Chaos Haunted Maze
299 Princeton-Hightstown Road
East Windsor, NJ, 08520
609-426-8884
http://www.cornerofchaos.com/

Re-Defines Stage Fright
765 Newman Springs Road
Lincroft, NJ, 07738
http://www.brookdalehauntedtheater.com/

Haunting Concepts LLC
PO Box 477
Hewitt, NJ, 07421
973-853-5100
http://www.hauntingconcepts.com/

New Jersey Halloween Horror Company
37 Plains Road
Augusta , NJ, 07822
973-948-5500
http://www.njhalloween.com/

Haunted Village
56 Main Street
Clinton, NJ, 08809
908-735-4101
http://www.clintonhauntedmill.org/

Night of Terror
448 Lincoln Mill Rd
Mullica Hill, NJ, 08062
856-223-1669
http://www.nightofterror.com/

Slickshills Cemetery of Horrors
http://www.blacklightfright.com/

The Hunt for the Jersey Devil
Vienna Hill Farm
8 Asbury Road(Route 46 and Asbury Road)
Vienna, NJ, 07880
http://www.huntthedevil.com/

The Prison
http://www.prisonhaunt.com/

The Zombie Wedding Tour
Dunn-Ley Productions, LLC
28 Fordham Road, Suite 2A
Somerset, NJ, 07920
http://www.njkingdom.com/

Haunted Union
2118 Briarwood Lane
Union, NJ, 07083
http://www.hauntedunion.com

Halloween Parade

Halloween Parade
732-349-0144
http://www.occis.com/events/halloweenparade/

Millstone Township Halloween Parade
470 Stage Coach Road
Millstone Township, NJ, 08510
732- 446-4249
http://www.millstone.nj.us/

Hoboken's Ragamuffin Halloween Parade
94 Washington Street,
Hoboken, NJ, 07030
http://www.hobokennj.org/

Alloway Township Halloween Parade
PO BOX 575
Alloway, NJ, 08001
http://www.allowayhalloweenparade.com/

Halloween Parade
861 Asbury Avenue
Ocean City, NJ, 08226
800-813-5580
http://www.njoceancity.com/

Annual Hometown Halloween Parade
102 Witherspoon Street
Princeton, NJ, 08542
609-924-8777
http://www.artscouncilofprinceton.org/

Halloween Parade
1358 Hooper Avenue., #131
Toms River, NJ, 08753
732-929-0730
http://www.tomsriveronline.com/

Greenwich Township Halloween Parade
321 Greenwich Street,
Stewartsville, NJ, 08886
908 859-1712
http://www.greenwichtownship.com/

Haunted Hayrides

Haunted Hayrides
449 State Route 94
Vernon, NJ, 07462
http://www.heavenhillfarm.com/halospok.html

Jersey Devil Haunted Hayride
920 West Veterans Highway (Route 528),
Jackson, NJ, 08527
732-928-0034
http://www.jerseydevilhayride.com/

Haunted Hayride of Terror
131 Route 79 South
Marlboro, NJ, 07746
732-946-8885
http://www.triplecnurseries.com/haunted/main.html

Dark Forest
Westwood Elks Club
523 Kinderkamack Road,
Westwood, NJ, 07675
201-666-3275
http://www.darkforest.com/

Heaven Hill Farm
449 Route 94
Vernon, NJ, 07462
973-764-4444
http://www.heavenhillfarm.com