A guide to South End Halloween haunts

All around the South End, the stage is being set for Halloween as the nights turn chilly, colored leaves tumble to the ground and pumpkins, cobwebs and skeletons adorn homes across the neighborhood. As a pre-Halloween treat, your friendly neighborhood reporter offers a guide to Halloween events taking place around the neighborhood. Activities are free and open to the public except as noted.

The Blackstone Square Halloween Festival returns on Saturday, October 29 from 12:00 noon-3:00 PM. In addition to the customary delights including the doggie costume contest, pumpkin decorating, face painting, scary stories read by local librarian Anne Smart, a DJ spinning spooky music and the South End Burying Ground Tour (led by this reporter), there are some added attractions such as yoga classes by Endurance Yoga, an ice cream truck courtesy of the Boston Police Department (BPD), a sensory-slime table presented by United South End Settlements (USES) and a make-your-own healthy treat table brought to you by the South End Community Health Center. While in past years, Washington Gateway Main Street (WGMS) executive director Jennifer Effron has done much of the organizing, Effron's recent family leave placed the festival in the hands of the Blackstone Franklin Square Neighborhood Association. A committee led by Lisa Jenks built upon Effron's successful foundation to put together this year's event. "It's been a little bit of a treasure hunt to figure it all out," Jenks said. "We felt it was important to keep Halloween Festival going. I contacted other community groups like Blackstone Community Center and USES, the community health center, the St. Stephen's youth program, and they are all pitching in to help. Boston University is supporting us financially with $250,000 to help defray costs and WGMS is helping with expenses as well." Jenks believes the Halloween Festival is very important to the neighborhood in terms of community building. "Whether it's the Halloween Festival or the Christmas tree sale, everyone comes, every age. When we have our meetings it tends to be a homogeneous group. At these big festivals, I just love seeing all the different ages and races come together," Jenks observed.

Prepare to be scared as USES returns with its delightfully frightful Haunted House on Saturday, October 29 from 6:00 PM-9:00 PM and Monday, October 31 from 5:00 PM-8:30 PM at the Children's Art Centre, 36 Rutland Street. Admission is $4.00 for adults and$3.00 for children, with proceeds benefitting Camp Hale. USES vice president for development Nikki Stewart explained, "The Haunted House is designed, built, and ran by teens from Camp Hale, and proceeds benefit the program. Younger children will enjoy seeing the "graveyard" and older children will want to step inside the Haunted House for some thrills and chills." Dinner consisting of Ma's Mac & Cheese, BBQ Chicken, and Blood Punch will be available for $10.00 per person. For more information, contact Nikki Stewart at nstewart@uses.org.
South End Open Market reprises its recent, well-received street-art party with a holiday theme this time at the Haunted #OFFTHEWALL Graffiti Gallery and Halloween Party this Sunday, October 30 from 11:00 AM-5:00 PM at 375 Harrison Avenue. Boston-based and internationally renowned street artists including Problak, Gofive, Imagine and Brand Rockwell will do their magic with spray paint on wood panels while attendees watch them create. Other Halloween-themed happenings include a pet parade and costume contest, both judged, and pumpkin painting. Guests will be able to quench their thirst with a variety of Samuel Adams brews as well as prosecco and rosé from Wicked Wines. Imagine, a graduate student at Harvard who hails from Nepal, has taken to Halloween in her 10 years of off-and-on residence in the US. "I think it's a fun time for costumes and cutely decorated houses with pumpkins and ghost decorations!" she commented. The artwork will carry a holiday theme as well. "I am planning a cohesive and scary theme with the rest of the graff artists participating."

Just down the street, SoWa Spooktacular promises food, fun and frights on Sunday, October 30, 10:00 AM-4:00 PM, at 460 Harrison Avenue. There will be costume contests for humans and pets with prizes including Visa gift cards up to $500.00; music from the band, Wonder City; pumpkin decorating; face painting; and a 12:00 noon-1:00 PM visit from BPD officers giving guests the chance to sit in the back of a Boston Police Department without having to get arrested. The SoWa Beer and Wine Garden will be purveying liquid courage as usual with some special brews to celebrate the season.

On Sunday, October 30 from 2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Tadpole at 58 Clarendon Street throws its annual Halloween Party for kids with food from local favorites Flour Bakery Café, Blackbird Doughnuts, Revelry Food Truck and Whole Foods, music by Vanessa Trien and the Jumping Monkeys, fun and games by Cradle to Crayons, glitter tattoos, and prizes.

The Friends of Ringgold Park present their Halloween Party Monday October 31 at 5:00 PM. Trick or treaters and their parents can fuel up for making the rounds with pizza, sliders, fruit and veggie snacks, soft drinks and coffee before trick or treating begins at 6:00 PM.

Also on Monday, October 31 from 5:00 PM-8:00 PM, Boston Centers for Youth and Families (BCYF) Blackstone Community Center, 50 West Brookline Street, will host its Halloween Party, giving out candy and other treats as well as showing scary movies for teens age 13 and older at the teen center.

Have a happy and safe Halloween!