Halloween can be seen as a kickoff to the holiday season. Along the Wasatch Front, Halloween rivals winter celebrations for lights, decorations, special foods (mostly candy), community and private events. There are many wonderful Halloween activities out there, but here is a list that The Globe found worth noting.
Best haunted house: Castle of Chaos
- 7980 S. State St., Midvale
According to its website, Castle of Chaos claims to be “Utah’s Highest Rated Haunted House.” The Google score of 4.6 stars with 3,100 reviews suggests there might be something to boast about.
“Castle of Chaos is hands down one of the most immersive haunts we’ve ever experienced!” posted a user named DJ in the comments.
Thrill seekers like being able to choose their level of fear, so that the experience isn’t too frightening or too tame. Stunning set designs and great actors are mentioned in many reviews.
“Truly amazing, better than Disneyland or Universal Studios!” posted Ryan Brand.
Castle of Chaos has an “underground labyrinth,” which is an interactive maze with classic and modern horror themes. Guests can choose from five levels of fear that control their interactions with the actors, including no contact or full contact which includes grabbing, being put in bags, and “mock torture.”
The Castle also has escape rooms, a mystery theatre and pub food.
Best pumpkin patch with Halloween adventure: Kuwahara’s Pumpkin Patch and Thriller Park
- 12153 S. 700 W., Draper
For its fall festival, Kuwahara’s offers over 30 attractions, including fire dancing or a light show, zombie paintball, a live DJ and a Halloween Main Street, as well as a variety of pumpkins to pick from and take home.
Light refreshments include ice cream, gelato and a sweets shop. Guests hungry for real food can find food trucks through the park.
Best traditional pumpkin patch: Cross E Ranch
- 3500 N. 2200 W., Salt Lake City
Cross E Ranch is the classic fall visit to a farm where you can pick your pumpkins, pet farm animals, climb on a wall, glide down giant slides, ride a kids train, take a hayride, get lost in a corn maze, shop at a farmhouse boutique, and enjoy a fall farm treat – apple cider donuts, hot chocolate, a caramel apple or an apple cider slushy.
Hungry guests will find more substantial food, like burgers, tacos, chicken and fries, at the Grill at +E and the Grazing Place.
Best pride Halloween party: HalloQueen Ball
- Masonic Temple, 650 E. South Temple, Salt Lake City
- Oct. 31, 8 p.m. - Nov. 1, 1 a.m.
Show off your costume and party for a good cause. Said to be the biggest Halloween party in Salt Lake, the HalloQueen Ball will be a “costume extravaganza” to raise money for the Utah Pride Center, which offers “weekly social groups, special events, and peer-support groups to encourage and promote the physical, emotional, and mental health and wellness of LGBTQ+ individuals and families,” according to Utah Pride’s mission statement.
From the party webpage, guests can expect:
- $2,500 grand prize for the best costume, plus 15 themed costume categories
- Two live DJ sets across a multi-floor party experience
- Delicious food trucks and full cash bar (21+ event)
- A premier Halloween experience – where the city’s fiercest costumes meet epic music, lights, and nonstop dancing
To join in on the fun, interested participants must register.
Best chance to get your goth on: Vampire Ball
- Viridian Event Center, 8030 S. 1825 W., West Jordan
- Oct. 25, 7:30 – 10 p.m.
More than any other holiday, including Christmas, Halloween is all about kids. So the Salt Lake County Library’s Adult Night Out Vampire Ball is a welcome addition to the lineup of fall community events.
“Step into gothic elegance and eerie ambiance with your dark beloved, your night-stalking crew, or glide solo and see who finds you at this free Halloween dance just for adults,” as stated on the event webpage.
Registration is required.
Best sophisticated date night or smart family night out: Garden After Dark: Trouble in Oz
- Red Butte Garden, 300 S. Wakara Way, Salt Lake City
- Oct. 16-30
For the quiet, thoughtful and sensitive, being outside at night offers a more subtle – and suitable – Halloween experience than a haunted house attraction or a loud party. And Red Butte’s Garden After Dark adds clever touches mixed with a little nature education to make the experience magical.
“Follow the yellow brick road to discover nature’s hidden ties to the people and places of a shadowed Land of Oz,” reads the event webpage. “Perfect for family outings, date night, and anyone ready for an evening of color, mystery, and imaginative twists that come alive only after dark.”
Best Halloween dance concert – well, ever: Odyssey’s “Thriller”
- Grand Theatre, SLCC South City Campus
- 1575 S. State St., Salt Lake City
- Oct. 13-25 (no Sunday performances)
“No mere mortal can resist.”
Last year, Odyssey Dance Theatre revived their famous Halloween concert to rave reviews.
When the show opened in Logan, Charlie Shill at Cache Valley Daily wrote, “The newly revived Thriller is a great show. There are gorgeous costumes, dazzling special effects, a marvelous soundtrack mixing classical and contemporary music, lots of laughs, a few jump-out-of-your-seat scares and, as always, the dancing was marvelous.”
Anyone seeking Halloween events and atmosphere should check with their local libraries, churches, community centers and neighborhood shops for options close to home.
