Halloween Activities That Give Me Shivers!

I wanted to share all of my favorite upcoming Halloween events in the area, but OH MY there are so many. I got overwhelmed at the thought!

However, I did find a great link from WRAL that had tons of activities. I have a couple issues with the link, though. It's not organized by date of the event. The activities are listed in alphabetical order according to the location of the event, and some of the events have already passed. So, I picked out my favorites for your convenience. This is truly just the tip of the iceberg, so I recommend visiting their site anyway.

Family Fun Night Spooktacular at Marbles is an event exclusively offered for special needs kids. It's designed to offer a calmer, quieter version of Marbles. This event is free for kids with special needs and their families and kids are encouraged to wear costumes. It's from 5-8 p.m. Oct. 25 at Marbles in downtown Raleigh.

Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary has been showing night time scary movies since Oct. 23 and will continue through Oct. 27. Movies start at dusk but the gates open at 6 p.m. and the cost is $3 per person. Kids under 12 are free. Some of the movies are Rated R, so they're not all kid friendly. Visit their website for more information. The Spiderwick Chronicles shows on Friday, Oct. 26 and is PG.

Gobblins Groove Family Dance is at Halle Cultural Arts Center in Apex on Friday, Oct. 26 from 7-9:30 p.m.  It's a family dance party! Youth and teens must be accompanied by adults. Costumes are encouraged. The cost is $5 per couple and $2 per additional child. There will be a dance contest, and snacks and punch will be provided.

Trick of Treat in Downtown Fuquay-Varina is Friday, Oct. 26, from 2-5 p.m. on North Main Street in, you guessed it, downtown Fuquay-Varina. The downtown merchants will hang signs that say, "Trick or Treat Here!" and will pass out treats along the business district. Want to enjoy Halloween early, this is a great way to kick off the trick-or-treating fun.

Boo at the Zoo is Saturday, Oct. 27 & Sunday, Oct. 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the NC Zoo in Asheboro. There will be trick-or-treat games, a kids' costume contest and live entertainment throughout the park. The cost is $12 for adults and $8 for kids 2-12.

My little pumpkin at Marbles.

New Hope Valley Railway's Halloween Express is a Halloween-themed train ride on a real diesel train and is on Saturday, Oct. 27. Trains depart starting at 4 p.m. and are about an hour. The last train runs at 7:45 p.m. The cost is $10 per rider. Click the link above for more details. Tickets must be purchased in advance, click here for their website.  

The Kooky Spooky Halloween Party at Marbles is Saturday, October 27 from 6-9 p.m. Advanced tickets for non members are $10 and at the door they are $12 per person. Wear your costumes to Marbles Kids Museum and enjoy family fun, including wrap mommy or daddy like a mummy, a Monster Mash Dance Party, hide-and-seek maze fort, Potions fun and so much more. 

Natural History Halloween is at the Natural History Museum in Raleigh on Saturday, Oct. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is free for all, but designed for those 2-12 years of age. There will be a costume contest for the kids, live spooky animals, face painting, crafts, games, prizes and more. The Natural History Museum is located at 11 W. Jones Street in Raleigh.
Hays Halloween House Drive by in Cary and Halloween Light Show in Holly Springs are incredibly decorated homes (or so I've heard) you can drive by and check out most nights through Halloween. They're already decorated and ready to go, so you can visit tonight! The Hays Halloween house is located at 4309 Hawksong Place in Cary and can be viewed from dusk to 10 p.m. on weekends and dusk to 9 p.m. on week days, weather permitting. The other is at 804 Linden Ridge Drive in Holly Springs. I haven't had a chance to do this, yet, but the website shared that if your radio is on 93.5 FM, the lights sing you a couple Halloween songs. I'm not sure what that entails, exactly, but it's worth checking out!


Also of note was the Raleigh Living Dead party on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 4-11 p.m., and the Tricks and Treats Halloween Bash in Cary on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 5-9 p.m.

Have fun and enjoy what our area has to offer this Halloween! I know I will!

Marbles Kids Museum - AMAZING!

Marbles Kid's Museum in Raleigh is incredible; there's so much to do there sometimes my kids and I don't even make it upstairs.

We always go to the pirate ship, in the Splash exhibit, first and play there and at the submarine area for an hour, sometimes more. Then we get trapped in a huge play area full of imaginative play sections called Around Town. There has to be a dozen or more sections, including an ambulance, boat, a stage for putting on shows, a veterinary section and so much more. By the time that's done, it's time to go home (for my kids who still take naps)! I feel like I could skip nap time for my girls, and we still wouldn't get to all the fun.

So here are a few photos of what your kids can do there, but there is so much more. This is easily a top 5 activity in the Raleigh area, if not top 2 (everybody knows I love Pullen Park). If you haven't been there, GO! If you've been there, remember how much fun you had last time? It's just as fun if not more than the first time we went. I want to try to go once a month. My kids had so much fun, it was well worth the drive in and the $5/person.


Last weekend was butterfly weekend, and they had butterfly wings for the kids to wear around, live butterflies and staff helping the little ones. This coming weekend there is the Marbles Kooky Spooky Halloween Party from 6-9 p.m. I would absolutely go, if I were not going out of town.



201 East Hargett Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27601

HIGHLIGHTS: Indoors, so perfect for bad weather or hot weather, there's so much to do and it encourages imaginative play, there are tons of kids to play with, indoor and outdoor activities, water play, dress up and I cannot name them all.

LOW LIGHTS: It's in downtown Raleigh, so it's a hike for me, parking is extra (but there's a parking garage you can park at for free on the weekends), and it's not free. Pack a lunch, because Rolly Polly's nearby has OK but not cheap. Cannot eat in Marbles (that includes snacks).

COST: $5 per person for everyone 1 and older (parents, too). There are membership options available, also that vary.

Spirit Halloween open at Beaver Creek in Apex

I am a self-admitted Halloween junkie. If I had more money, my house would look haunted year round. It's my favorite holiday, my favorite time of the year and simply the best day EVER!

So when I heard Spirit Halloween was already open at Beaver Creek in Apex, NC (near the movie theater and just a few doors down from Old Navy) - we made a day trip out of it. If I could stay over night I would - ha ha ha.

There were hundreds of costumes, fun decor and, of course, super scary stuff - especially for a 3-year-old! My 19-month-old loved it. It was a bit scary for my 3 year old but she got over it fast - not until we left the store though. (see her hiding behind me at the store in the upper right photo)

The store has got so much to look at, it can keep you busy for at least an hour. I highly recommend checking it out. I noticed they don't open until 11 a.m. on weekdays, so it's more of an afternoon activity.

Beaver Creek Commons
1541 Beaver Creek Commons Dr
Apex, North Carolina 27502

HIGHLIGHTS: AMAZING for Halloween lovers, very scary/cool decorations, great costumes. I LOVE THIS STORE.

LOW LIGHTS: It's pretty scary for 2- to 4-year-olds, and it doesn't open until 11 a.m. on weekdays.

COST: Free to walk through. But NOT free for Halloween lovers who HAVE TO buy stuff when you get inside.

Keep an Open Mind - Make a Friend!

Don't be afraid to do something new or find a new friend. Get out of your comfort zone.

"friends are like chocolate cake, you can never have enough ..."

That's a bad simile for a woman on a diet.

I had a playdate with a book author who lives in my neighborhood today who was giving me self-publishing tips. It was really fun, and she was so nice. Jordan made a new little buddy. They played really well, and both girls were introduced to new toys.

HIGHLIGHTS: New friends, new experiences, new ideas and a change of pace and you can do it anywhere.

LOW LIGHTS: You never know how your kids are going to get along with the new kids. Sharing is sometimes an issue, but that's an every day issue at our house anyway. 

COST: Free!