The Halloween Theme Park’s Haunted Mill is located at Colonial Valley, Menges Mills, PA. For those of you who never heard of it, that’s right around the area of Spring Grove, somewhere between York and Hanover. The mill itself is 257 years old, which is a scary thought to begin with. The Haunted Mill offers 45 minutes of SCARE, but that’s just part of this spooky special event. The Halloween Theme Park boasts over two hours of entertainment! Other features include the Haunted Dark Zone, a Haunted Hayride, the Terror Trail, and promises that you’ll scream for hours. Of course, when they start talking about creatures lurking in the creeks of Menges Mills … well, I don’t doubt for a moment that I’d be screaming! (I’m a coward like that!)

This place to get scared sounds like a great opportunity to round up the crew (group rates are available) and find out who the real scaredy-cats are! From now until November 1st, “rain or moon shine,” the park is open every Thursday & Sunday 6-10pm, and Friday & Saturday from 6-11pm. Starting on October 22nd, the park will be open every evening until November 1st. Each adventure is priced individually, but the best deal is definitely to go for the Large Combination package and experience all four adventures for only $20 a person. This whole event is for a good cause — it benefits the American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. Good thing, I guess. All that scariness would definitely take a toll on my heart!

The whole family can enjoy Hersheypark’s amusements this season as the park has been transformed into a Halloween wonderland. Several rides have been opened, decorated and re-named for the festivities: GREAT SCARE (Great Bear roller coaster), Bats in the Belfry (Kissing Tower), Raven Haven (The Flying Falcon), Ichabod’s Train (The Comet), sooperBOOperLooper (sooperdooperLooper), Witches Brew (Tilt-a-Whirl), and Swings of Salem (Wave Swinger). Admission is free; rides and attractions are pay-as-you-go. Free entertainment will include a seasonal marine mammal presentation, an interactive children’s show by Mr. Music, and storytelling.

Here’s another adventure for you scare-seekers … Blue Meadow Farm has two major activities for you. The Haunted Hayride features 28 scenes in the field, and the Haunted Barn is a walk-through. Each activity lasts about a half hour, and both are included in the admission price of $10 per person. Children under age 5 get in free! Blue Meadow Farm’s Halloween fun will run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 7-10pm, right through Halloween night on October 31st.

Looking for a great chance to show off your best costume on Halloween night? The “Red Hot Strawberry Ball” will be awarding $1,000 in cash and prizes to those judged best in various costume categories.

But the “Red Hot Strawberry Ball” is much more than just a costume party. Patrons can also “dress to impress” or wear red to enjoy a whole evening of entertainment. The evening’s program includes music by CHATTERBAND, a casino, a silent auction, a red hot lotto, and specialty food from area restaurants. General admission tickets ($20 in advance and $25 at the door) include hors d’oeuvres and open bar. VIP tickets for the Golden Strawberry Terrace ($50) include exclusive upper-level seating, martini bar, champagne, fine wines and liquor, and gourmet food. Proceeds from this year’s event will benefit CONTACT Helpline, a 24-hour listening, information, and referral service offered free of charge to tri-county residents.

The festivities run from 8pm-12:30am at Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg. Free parking will be available.

Gaudenzia is a non-profit organization which provides comprehensive substance abuse treatment and prevention services to the residents of Central PA. For ticket information, please call Gaudenzia, Inc. at (717) 238-4200.