Welcome to our 👻Halloween 2023 guide🎃, one-stop for a perfect Delaware holiday season
🎃 Is your idea of a perfect Halloween shocking your system with nonstop jump scares at the creepiest-ever haunted attraction? Getting cozy in your cutest pancho on your décor-perfect porch to dole out full-sized Hershey bars? Dressing as your favorite Marvel character and hosting the greatest Halloween bash of all time?👻
We can help.
Welcome to our guide to all things Halloween 2023. Consider this your guide to a frightfully delightful holiday season, with everything from costume tips and discount intel to roundups of Delaware events and much, much more.
Keep checking back, as we will update this guide many times between now and Oct. 31.
Trick-or-treating in Delaware? Here is the weather forecast for Halloweekend
Is there any bigger bummer than being told to stick a ski jacket on over your costume?
It's a low childhood moment for kids of all ages. But if you are celebrating Halloween early this weekend, you're in for some really warm weather to keep the chill at bay and the coat in the closet.
Going to Newark's Halloween parade Sunday? Plan ahead. Here's what you need to know
What's scarier than ghosts and goblins?
Trying to use Newark's Main Street when it closes for the city's Halloween Parade this Sunday.
You've been warned.
Find out all you need to know with our story.
Did you know Delaware has special restrictions for some sex offenders on Halloween?
While the ghouls and goblins wander Delaware's streets in search of goodies on Halloween, the Delaware Department of Correction will stand vigilant — as it's done for a quarter-century.
On this night, DOC's probation and parole officers keep a watchful eye on high-risk sex offenders who are on supervised probation in an effort to make Halloween festivities safe and fun.
Ghosts love this Delaware place so much it's sold out until 2024. But why is it so scary?
The demand to feel like a real-life ghostbuster in Delaware is so high that paranormal investigations are already sold out for the rest of this Halloween season at the notorious Fort Delaware.
Bump watching TikTok and YouTube videos, Diamond State Ghost Investigators are giving a hands-on tutorial on how to catch spirits at Fort Delaware.
The fortress has a reputation for being littered with apparitions.
Though Fort Delaware's paranormal tours are full, here's what you need to know before going there for spooky season in 2024.
Ghosts attack Delaware 'Ghost Hunters' TV star at his home, he says
A Delaware ghost hunter got his brightest idea in the darkest moment of his life.
But it took about six weeks for Middletown resident Daryl Marston, 51, to wake up from his worst nightmare ever, he said.
Marston, star of the A&E reality show "Ghost Hunters," reveals how a string of these supernatural events almost broke him in his new book, "The Horrors of the House of Wills: A True Story of a Paranormal Investigator's Most Terrifying Case."
A Delaware library once displayed a killer's skull as a grisly Halloween decoration
What's scarier?
That Delaware once had a vicious kidnapper and killer on the loose in southwestern Sussex County who apparently felt no empathy for her victims including babies and children?
Or that Delaware authorities kept the murderer's alleged skull as a sort of grisly trophy for more than 40 years and sometimes displayed it in the Dover Public Library during the month of October as a Halloween decoration?
Carnival theme, creepy clowns, live music are highlights of Milton Zombie Fest
The undead ruled Saturday as The Milton Zombie Fest took place downtown, with folks decked out for Halloween got a jump(scare) on Halloween fun.
Check out the highlights.
Travel back in time for our Halloween archives - if you dare!
Recently, we went through The News Journal's photo archives and found dozens of images that show Halloween trends and what the macabre holiday was like decades ago.
Enjoy a creepy, freaky trip back in time with us this holiday season.
McDonald's Boo Buckets are back: This time with competition from Burger King
McDonald's is bringing back its iconic Boo Buckets for Happy Meals this Halloween, but this time, with competition.
The buckets, which have been a cultural phenomenon across the country since the 1980s, have been brought back sporadically over the years. Last year was the first time since 2016 that the Boo Buckets made their spooky return to McDonald's stores.
What Halloween candy does Delaware love best? It's on a map
Boo! Halloween happenings at the Delaware beaches
Zombies and a sea witch on the loose mean it's Halloween at the Delaware beaches.
Summer may be the main tourist season around here, but fall is a close second. When it gets too chilly for the beaches, there are events every weekend to entertain locals and tourists alike. Halloween, especially, features some big-draw festivals that are both spooky and fun.
Here's when and where to get your Halloween on at the Delaware beaches this year.
These 5 costumes are expected to be the most popular this Halloween
Like it or not, the time for Halloween costume planning is among us.
Retail experts are predicting a record amount of spending on Halloween costumes and decorations this year, which means everyone will be expected to show out this year, even the low-effort participants.
Luckily, we have compiled a list with plenty of costume options that can be made as simple or all-out as you prefer without breaking the bank.
These pumpkin patches are Delaware favorites, according to new survey
However you plan to get your fix this fall, why not start from scratch and pick your own pumpkin? And if you need help figuring out where the popular local pumpkin patches are, we’ve got you covered.
Three thousand families were surveyed by Family Destinations Guide and asked to rate their favorite pumpkin-picking spots in each state.
Here’s what your fellow Delawareans said.
Halloween Loop is dead, but the fun continues at dozens of bars, breweries
If you've been hoping Wilmington's Halloween Loop would rise from the dead like a zombie, you're out of luck.
It's just as lifeless as a Michel Myers victim.
The popular bar crawl, which bussed partygoers from city bar to bar for most of its 40-year run, apparently will not be held this year.
While the Loop may be dead, the holiday lives on — and bars and breweries across the state have loaded up their schedules with their own events ranging from costume parties, drag shows and movie screenings to trick-or-treats, murder mysteries and burlesque shows.
Rockwood Park gets in early Halloween spirit with Goth Ball
Rockwood Park & Mansion's inaugural Goth Ball brought out Halloween fans in droves on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. Approximately 200 people, many in goth attire attended the event celebrating the preservation of the 1800s Gothic Revival treasure house and garden with live music, spooky estate tours, paranormal presentations, an open bar and more.
Delaware Halloween events for the family & kids offers fun without the jump scares
It may be spooky season, but not all kids are in the mood to be traumatized.
To keep your children from sleeping in your room this Halloween season, we've highlighted some fun family-friendly events in Delaware that won't give your little ones (or your wallet) nightmares.
We have ideas to maximize the season but dial down the chills.
Trick-or-treating safety tips for Halloween
Here are some tips from the National Safety Council for a safe Halloween.
Check out 5 Halloween events at regional zoos in, around Delaware this year
October isn’t here just yet, but that doesn’t mean the spooky season isn’t underway.
Halloween may be the designated day for dressing up, but if you want to put that costume on more than once, there are fun options.
And some of those opportunities happen to involve a zoo.
We've gathered Halloween events taking place at zoos in and around Delaware this year.
For more spooky season fun and costume planning tips, check out our Halloween Guide.
Creepy Halloween events in Delaware to scratch your itch for horror
It's fun to get scared voluntarily during Halloween time.
Fear of missing out on cool spooky events is a bigger monster to some than playing it safe with a boring night at home.
For horror lovers, here are creepy Delaware events that should scratch your thrill-seeking itch this Halloween season.
Where to find the perfect costume in Delaware
Looking for a place to get your costumes this Halloween season? Look no further.
Here is a list of costume shops in Delaware to find all of your spooky needs this holiday, whether you want to go as a zombie, Barbie or ... Zombie Barbie.
And check out this time-lapsed video of a Spirit Halloween store setting up for the season.
New Goth Ball brings paranormal fun to Rockwood
Rockwood Park & Museum is a great setting for some creepy fun. The Penny Hill estate and gardens filled with weeping willows is 170 years old with a mansion built in rural Gothic Revival style, giving off major "Dracula" vibes at night.
Now it's hosting a new '80s-themed Goth Ball with mediums, haunted trails and more.
Delaware fall festivals to make the most of season
Is fall your favorite season? You and your family can fortify your excitement by planning which harvest-themed festivals and events you can check out. Here's a peek at the fun, some of it Halloween-themed, to come.
Below Deck's 'Chef Ben' to host Sussex festival
''Halloween Dreams'' is the new theme of an inaugural festival slated to star Chef Ben Robinson, a former cast member of the Bravo TV's series "Below Deck."
The festival has been moved from Brittingham Farms in Millsboro to Schellville in Rehoboth Beach on Oct. 14.
Where to find corn and other mazes in Delaware
While there’s plenty of fall fun to be had around Delaware, from festivals to Halloween events, one of the simplest yet most traditional activities is to tackle a corn maze.
Coming in all shapes and sizes, and some with a surprising level of difficulty, corn mazes offer something enjoyable for people of all ages.
Eastern State Penitentiary kicks off spooky season
As the weather cools down and leaves begin to change, another exciting time is upon: Halloween.
Eastern State Penitentiary, a historic prison located in Philadelphia, kicks off its annual Halloween Nights festival on Friday, Sept. 22. The fun will continue well past Halloween, through Saturday, Nov. 11.
Peep these 20 new scary movies for Halloween
What scares you the most? Demon children? Serial killers? Aliens invading your home? Murderous animatronic animals come to life while you chow down on substandard pizza?
Well, this spooky season at the movies has got it all.
Where to pick your own apples, pumpkins and trees in Delaware
Farms across the state offer u-pick fruits and vegetables, as well as pick-your-own pumpkins and Christmas trees.
To help you plan your upcoming social calendar, we've assembled a picking season roundup so you can plot your seasonal outings and stock up on fall and winter must-haves.
Satisfy your pumpkin spice cravings in Delaware
Whether your are the OG pumpkin spice lover or indulging for the first time, we've got you.
Here’s a list of places in Delaware where you can get your pumpkin spice, whether you’re a diehard pumpkin spice lover or a PSL first-timer.
We tried Wendy's Pumpkin Spice Frosty. Is it better than Pumpkin Pie Blizzard?
To celebrate the flavor of the season, Wendy's has decided to toss its hat into the pumpkin spice ring with a pumpkin spice Frosty. We gave it a swirl and here's what we think.
Are Disney Halloween events worth the price?
Here’s what you should know about Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Oogie Boogie Bash, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and new Disney Jollywood Nights, so you can decide whether they’re worth it for you.
These classic food are now Halloween candy
When it comes to Halloween candy, most kids have come to expect the basics like M&Ms, Reece's Peanut Butter Cups and Tootsie Rolls.
But this year Kraft Heinz can expect to turn some heads with its new candy options for this year's spooky season.
50+ Halloween deals for spooky season on a budget
Here's how you can save on Halloween costumes, candy, decor and more. From bargains at Spirit Halloween to savings at Amazon and Walmart, you can pick up costumes, candy, and decorations for less right now. If you want to win this year's costume contest or have the best Halloween candy on the block, you'll want to shop early to take advantage of these spooky sales highlighted by Reviewed.com.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Looking for Halloween events, tips in Delaware? 2023 holiday guide
