Duncan is the place to be for family-style Halloween fun Oct. 25. Spooktacular Saturday is back downtown and more!
This is a great day with trick or treating in the historic downtown area, a creepy zombie walk through the city core, and games, activities and contests at City Square, followed by a free Halloween Skate at the Island Savings Centre.
Later in the day, there are two scary swims at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre.
In the downtown core, the Duncan Business Improvement Area Society will be partnering with the Cowichan Community Options Society to really put the spook in Spooktacular.
Families love taking the kids trick or treating at downtown businesses who are setting up their baskets at 10 a.m. and handing out goodies until noon.
DBIA activities include mummywrapping and, according to the DBIA's MaryAnn Hartley, pumpkin bowling, a game of musical pumpkins and a photo booth.
"We start with the costume contest at noon sharp in City Square. It takes about an hour," she said.
The downtown candy crawl is always exciting, as it draws a crowd of costumed youngsters into the city core where everyone can enjoy the spooky but safe atmosphere and meet friends.
Then there are Fright Nights at the Cowichan Aquatic Centre. Those actually start on Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. where they promise that "spine chilling horror" awaits all that dare.
That fun continues twice on Saturday with a special "less scary" event for sensitive children from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and then the full-on fright night from 7-9 p.m. There's also a chance to stroll, trembling, through the main attraction: the pool's three-room haunted house. Tickets are $5 per person for each session.