It's the most wonderful time of the year ... for ghouls, goblins, monsters and vampires, that is!
New this Halloween season, Ballet Arkansas will bring "Dracula" to the Fayetteville Public Library for two public performances and a lecture demonstration. "Literature Comes to Life: Bram Stoker's Dracula," a free interactive exploration of the novel paired with readings from the novel and a live dance performance, will begin at 1 p.m. Oct. 15 in the FPL Event Center. Ballet Arkansas' production of "Dracula," a multi-media performance based on the 1897 novel, will start at 7 p.m. Oct. 14 and 15 in the Event Center. Tickets for those shows range from $25-$40 and are available at www.balletarkansas.org/tickets. For more information, email [email protected].
Performances
Nosferatu: Symphony of Horrors -- Presented by Trillium Salon Series, 7-10 p.m. Oct. 13, at Likewise Community, 70 N. College Ave. in Fayetteville. The event features a special screening of F.W. Murnau's 1922 silent film paired with a percussive palette and eerie synths score from Thought Form Collective. This all-ages event is free and open to the public. trilliumsalonseries.com.
Corn Mazes & Pumpkin Patches
Appel Farms -- With all kinds of pumpkins, mums and hay bales, 5909 Elm Springs Road in Springdale. Free admission. Check Appel Farms' Facebook page for hours at facebook.com/AppelFarmsNWA.
Cox Berry Farm & Nursery -- Offering a pumpkin patch and seasonal fruits and vegetables, pumpkin trail available, and picnics welcome, 1081 Arkansas 818 in Clarksville. coxberryfarm.com.
Exeter Corn Maze -- With haunted barns and mazes, "Frights and Lights" ride-through, barnyard activities, hayrides, a petting zoo, pumpkin jumps, a zip line, go karts, pig races and more, open Wednesday and Friday-Sunday; hours vary according to activity, through Nov. 7, Missouri MM, Exeter, Mo. Tickets are $14.95-$28.95. Visit exetercornmaze.com for directions and hours of operation.
Farmland Adventures -- Featuring a 9-acre giant corn maze (entrance closes one hour before closing time), a pumpkin patch, pony rides, farm animals, pig races and a kids' play area, with nighttime adventures such as flashlight nights and campfire groups available by reservation, 3-9 p.m. Thursdays; 1-9:30 p.m. Fridays, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturdays through Nov. 5, 5355 Parsons Road in Springdale. $13 for children ages 3-12 and ages 65 and older; $14 for ages 13-64; discounts for military and first responders. No animals other than A.D.A. registered service dogs are allowed. farmlandadventures.com/index.php.
In The Pines -- With pumpkins, squash and seasonal gift shop with hand made crafts, locally made jams and wooden game boards, 1836 U.S. 412 in Hindsville. facebook.com/inthepinesgiftshop.
McGarrah Farms -- With the farm, hayride, bounce pads, ball zone, barrel train ride, tall grass maze, play area and more, 14816 Miser Road in Pea Ridge. Admission is $12 per person (free for children younger than 2). Pumpkins, with prices from $1 to $75, are sold separately. The farm is open from 1-6 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday through Oct. 31. mcgarrahfarms.com.
McGarrah Farms Rivercrest Orchard -- "Fall at the Farm" features a corn maze, pumpkin patch, sunflower patch, apple blasters, bounce pillows, low ropes course, barrel train, hayrides, zip lines, grain train, trackless train, corn cribs, fall ball zone, barn chute slide, bumper cars, and a 6-acre barnyard play area, 2991 Dead Horse Mountain Road in Fayetteville. Noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 30. Tickets for general admission are $12.95; "do-it-all unlimited admission" is $20.95. rivercrestorchard.com; 208-2692.
Oak Hollow Pumpkin Patch -- With face painting, free hayrides, plus pumpkins for purchase and painting, a petting zoo and a photo area, 263 Oakwood Trail in Noel, Mo., will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 14-15. There will also be a country store filled with homemade items such as Christmas decorations, fall items, baked goods and more, along with pulled pork sandwich plates or hot dog plates for a donation. All proceeds from the event will benefit Arkansas Baptist Children's Home.
Vanzant Fruit Farms -- With fall fruits, pumpkins mums and more, 3705 Arkansas 264 East in Lowell. Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. vanzantfruitfarms.com.
Fall Crafts Fairs
Two longtime favorite fall crafts fairs have packed up their tents and gone home, but three new ones are stepping into the lineup for next weekend.
Spanker Creek Farm Arts, Crafts & More has been canceled for 2022, and the Bella Vista Arts & Crafts Festival has ended after more than 50 years.
That's the bad news. The good news is that Wishing Spring Gallery in Bella Vista will host a fall show Oct. 14-15 outdoors at its home at 8862 W. McNelly Road; the United Lutheran Church in Bella Vista will present its first Pumpkin Patch Arts & Crafts Festival Oct. 14-15; and down the interstate in Fayetteville, the Northwest Arkansas Mall will host an indoor event Oct. 13-16 that Anne Burbage started decades ago at Dixieland Mall -- now Frisco Station Mall -- in Rogers.
Pearl Williamson, director of Wishing Spring Gallery, says she expects to have about 35 vendors selling woodworking, home decor, jewelry, pottery, lots of sewing crafts and more. Hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 14-15.
The United Lutheran Church at the corner of Cooper Road and Forest Hills Boulevard expects around 20 vendors, some indoors and some outdoors, and will also have a fall Pumpkin Patch where pumpkins will be for sale and photos can be taken. Hours are 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 14 and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 15.
Burbage says she expects 50 or more booths at the Northwest Arkansas Mall selling not just crafts but more of the "boutique" items she believes younger shoppers favor. Hours will be 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Oct. 13-15 and noon to 4 p.m. Oct. 16.
Also scheduled are:
Ozark Regional Arts & Crafts Festival -- 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 13-15 at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville.
Ozark Regional Arts & Crafts Festival -- 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 14 and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Northwest Arkansas Convention Center in Springdale.
The War Eagle Fair -- Called the granddaddy of them all, founded in 1954, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 13-15 and until 4 p.m. Oct. 16, 11037 High Sky Inn Road near Hindsville.
War Eagle Mill Craft & Culinary Fair -- 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 13-15 and until 4 p.m. Oct. 16, War Eagle Mill across the creek from the War Eagle Fair, 11045 War Eagle Road in Rogers.
Sharp's Show at War Eagle -- 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 13-15 and until 4 p.m. Oct. 16, behind War Eagle Mill.
It's Fall Y'All Craft Fair -- 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Oct. 13-15, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 16, Benton County Fairgrounds in Bentonville.
Fall Festivals
Rogers Oktoberfest Beer Festival -- With costumes, live polka music, more than 20 craft breweries and more, 1 p.m. Oct. 15 in Railyard Park, 101 E. Cherry St. Presented by the Rotary Club of Downtown Rogers and the Rogers Optimist Club, in partnership with the City of Rogers. facebook.com/RogersOktoberfest.
Fort Smith Farmers Market -- With a scavenger hunt, live music from Jackie Darlene, a paint the cop car event and treats for kids, 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 15. There will be face painting by Future School Fort Smith, biscuits and gravy for breakfast and BBQ for lunch provided by Tyler Mountain BBQ. facebook.com/FSMFarmersMarket.
Fall Bonfire -- Hosted by Downtown Springdale, 6 p.m. Oct. 14 in Turnbow Park/Shiloh Square in Springdale. Free. downtownspringdale.org
Highfill Fall Festival -- With food, kids activities, a car show, live music, vendors and a parade, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 15, Highfill City Park.
Autumn at The Barn -- With arts, crafts, food and music surrounding a 112-year-old hay barn, noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 16, 3720 S. 87th St. in Fort Smith.
Halloween
Asylum Haunted House -- 221 N. Main St., Cave Springs, open 7 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday through Oct. 22; Oct. 27-29 and 7-10 p.m. Oct. 31. General admission $20. theasylumhauntedhouse.net.
Nightmares Haunted House -- 3705 N.W. Frontage Road in Bentonville is an intense, high-energy haunted attraction. Opens at dusk and stops selling tickets at 11 p.m. through Oct. 31. $20 general admission; $35 fast pass. The proceeds from the Haunted House go to the Bentonville Breakfast Lions Club, which then donates the money back to the community.
Bluff Dwellers Cave -- Offering a lantern tour of an abandoned passageway that has been closed to the general public for more than 50 years. The tour is 45 minutes of spooky and scary surprises from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29. Tickets $26.99 at bluffdwellerscave.com.
Halloween Underground Movie Event -- At Old Spanish Treasure Cave, 14290 U.S. 59 North in Sulpher Springs, starts at 6 p.m. continues through Oct. 30. Oct. 14: "Friday the 13th" (1980); Oct. 16: "Gremlins"; Oct. 22: "IT" (2017); Oct. 23: "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (2003); Oct. 29: "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984); Oct. 30: "Halloween" (2007).Tickets are $10 on the website. All sales are final. spanish-treasure-cave.com/Movie_Info.html.
"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" -- 8 p.m. Oct. 15 as part of the Victory Film Series at Arkansas Public Theatre, 116 S. Second St. in Rogers. Tickets are $15-$20 per person. There will be an approved prop kit for sale in the concession area for $10 each; no outside props allowed.The balcony is only accessible by stairs. Please contact the box office at manage[email protected] for accommodations or call 631-8988.
Murder & Mayhem -- A hayride tour between museums, ghost stories, drinks, appetizers, dinner and more from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 21-22 in downtown Fort Smith. Tickets are $125 and include three-course dinner, beverages and a souvenir lantern. Tickets at EventBrite. More information at fortsmithmuseum.org/events.
Night in the Museum -- A Trunk or Treat at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum, 4290 S. School Ave. in Fayetteville, starts at 6 p.m. Oct. 21, then the museum "comes to life" at 7 p.m. More information at arkansasairandmilitary.com/2021-night-in-the-museum.
Halloween & Haunted Trains -- 7-9:30 p.m. Oct. 22, Oct. 28-30 at the stationary train at the Emma Avenue station of the Arkansas-Missouri Railroad in Springdale. One train is Halloween-themed for kids of all ages. One train will be for kids and adults looking for a bit of a fright. The Halloween train is $5 per person, kids 2 and younger free. The haunted train is $10 per person.
Core Brewing Halloween Party -- With a costume contest, 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at Core Brewing & Distilling Company, 2470 Lowell Road in Springdale. The evening is kid and dog friendly with live music by The Roll Brothers.
Haunt the Hanger -- The museum will be pairing up with ORB Paranormal Team for this year's ghost hunt, 6-11:45 p.m. Oct. 28 & 29 at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum, 4290 S. School Ave. in Fayetteville. With your ticket you will receive dinner and some swag. Tickets are $25 for members, $35 for nonmembers. arkansasairandmilitary.com.
Trunk or Treat -- 4-6 p.m. Oct. 30, Highlands United Methodist Church, 371 Glasgow Road, Bella Vista.
Rocky Horror Party -- With live music and spooky-fun themed cocktails, concessions and a screening of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" on the big screen, 8 p.m. Oct. 31, Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville. You can BYOP* (Bring Your Own Props) or buy one of the Walton Art Center's prop bags for $10. Approved props are newspaper, flashlight, rubber gloves, noisemaker, toilet paper, toast, a party hat, bell and playing cards. Rice, confetti, water pistols, hot dogs, prunes and glitter are not allowed. $20. 443-5600 or waltonartscenter.org.
The Goblin Candy Crawl -- Pick up a trick-or-treat bag and map from the Rogers Historical Museum booth in Railyard Park, 3:30 t0 5:30 p.m. Oct. 31 in Downtown Rogers. The map will also be available that day on the Rogers Historical Museum's website. rogershistoricalmuseum.org.
Banshee Manor -- A Scottish medieval haunted attraction featuring the story of the McCraulics and how they became trapped by the Banshee within the Manor, inside Lokomotion Family Fun Park, 4520 N. College Ave., Fayetteville. Open Friday-Sunday, Oct. 14-31. Virtual queue so that visitors may play games until their turn in the haunted house. No one younger than 6 years of age allowed. (479) 879-3368 or bansheemanor.com.
Halloween on Main -- With a zombie crawl at 6 p.m. and a costume parade at 6:45 p.m. Oct. 29, 614 Main St. in Van Buren. facebook.com/oldtownvanburen.
Trick or Treat -- 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 29, Bentonville Farmers Market on the Bentonville square. https://fb.me/e/8pjGcJC4A
Springdale Halloween Fest -- With free candy, a pumpkin drop, carnival games and more, 4-7 p.m. Oct. 29.in downtown Springdale. Hosted by Springdale Police Department and Parks and Recreation.
Trick Art Treat -- With trick-or-treating, a photo-BOO-th, music, live performances and take-home art kits for everyone, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 30,North Forest at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville. Free, no tickets required. crystalbridges.org.
Trick-or-Treat -- All day Oct. 31, at all Fort Smith Library branches. fortsmithlibrary.org.
Cars and Candy -- With lots of candy, muscle cars, classic cars, imports, bikes and more, 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 31 at Central Mall, 5111 Rogers Ave. in Fort Smith .
Gentry Trick or Treat on Main Street -- Oct. 31, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in downtown Gentry. Local businesses will be passing out treats to trick-or-treaters.
Gravette Trick or Treat on Main -- Gravette's third annual Trick or Treat on Main will be 4-7 p.m. Oct. 31 on Main Street in Gravette. Local businesses and organizations will line both sides of the first two blocks of Main Street and hand out candy and treats to trick-or-treaters. Main Street will be closed to vehicle traffic during the event.
Trick or Treat in Downtown Siloam Springs -- 3-5 p.m. Oct. 31 in Siloam Springs Historic Downtown District. mainstreetsiloam.org.
Kids & Crafts
Teen Cuisine: Spooky Snacks -- 4:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at Fayetteville Public Library for grades 5-12. Join the wait list at faylib.org.
TeenTober: Pumpkin Decorating -- 4 p.m. Oct. 17, Carnegie Room at the Fort Smith Public Library. fortsmithlibrary.org.
Gingerdead Houses -- For grades 5-12, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 20, Fayetteville Public Library. Students put a haunted twist to the traditional gingerbread house. Join the waitlist at faylib.org.
Teen WordPlay -- Tales of Terror, 4:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at Fayetteville Public Library. Teens will learn about the horror literary genre and work on developing their very own terrifying tale. Both in-person and virtual. faylib.org.
Costume Parade at the Garden -- 9-11 a.m. Oct. 26 at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, 4703 N. Crossover Road in Fayetteville. Free for garden members with a family membership; admission for nonmembers is $5 for children and $10 for adults, children ages 4 and younger free.
Spooky Story Times -- 10 a.m. Oct. 26 at the Dallas Street Branch of the Fort Smith Public Library; 10 a.m. Oct. 27 at the main library; and 10 a.m. Oct. 31 at the Windsor Branch. fortsmithlibrary.org.
Pumpkin Coaster Crochet Craft -- 2 p.m. Oct. 28 in the Carnegie Room at the Fort Smith Public Library. fortsmithlibrary.org.
Treat Street -- With carnival games, Granny Boo story time, face painting, chalk art, a craft station, pumpkin coloring, a "selfie" photo booth and more, noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 29, Bella Vista Public Library. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Participants should bring their own treat bag. bvpl.org.
Halloween Story Time -- With Miss Shannon and a costume parade, 11 a.m. Oct. 29 at Bookish, 70 S. Seventh St. in Fort Smith.
Some Halloween event details were not ready by our press time. Please send any events that we missed to [email protected]. Remember to include times, dates and a link for more information.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/BEN GOFF @NWABENGOFF Dallas Smith of Lowell rattles his cage and scares visitors through the torture room on Saturday Oct. 17, 2015 at Nightmares Haunted House in Bentonville.
NWA Democrat-Gazette/BEN GOFF @NWABENGOFF Anna McCoy, an actor from of Rogers, poses for a photo in the 'fog booth' on Saturday Oct. 17, 2015 in Nightmares Haunted House in Bentonville. The plexiglass feature big enough for just a few people lets visitors see others as they feel their way through the fog-filled room.
Becca Gastineau of Rogers (right) walks with Benicio Gastineau, 2, Sunday, October 31, 2021 at the Crystal Bridges North Forest in Bentonville. Attendees dressed in their costumes walking the North Forest trail for photo ops, live performances and trick-or-treating. Check out nwaonline.com/211101Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Charlie Kaijo)
In addition to its public performances, Ballet Arkansas will present “Literature Comes to Life: Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” an interactive exploration of the novel, pairing readings from the book with live dance performance and guided improvisation, at 1 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Fayetteville Public Library. Admission is free. (Courtesy Photo/Ballet Arkansas)
TIMES photographs by Annette Beard The mule train takes children and their parents on a ride around McGarrah Farms Pumpkin Patch. For more photographs, go to the PRT gallery at https://tnebc.nwaonline.com/photos/.
Callie Paterson, 3, of Fayetteville feeds oats to a hoard of hungry goats Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, during the first of six Mothers Day Out reduced-price admission days at Farmland Adventures in Springdale. The attraction features pony rides, a corn maze, petting zoo and other activities through Nov. 5. The Visit nwaonline.com/220922Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Jeff Gammons - 10/13/19 - Jackie Meadows (left) walks with her grandson Aiden Dickerson through the corn maze at Hicks Family Farms in Lonoke on Sunday.
Lydia Montgomery, 5, sits on a truck as she poses for pictures at a previous It’s Fall Y’all Craft Fair at the Benton County Fairgrounds in Bentonville. This year’s edition returns Oct. 13-16. (NWA Democrat-Gazette File Photo/Charlie Kaijo)
Hannah Montgomery, 1, of Bentonville reacts to a pumpkin in October 2020. Pumpkin patches abound this fall in Northwest Arkansas. (NWA Democrat-Gazette File Photo/Charlie Kaijo)