Stepping Out

Halloween approaches

Goblins, ghouls and ghostly creatures are on the prowl

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Those Halloween hijinx reach a crescendo this weekend. There’s plenty to see and do before everyone gorges themselves on candy on Monday. If you are in need of some thrills and chills, you’ll have a wide array of choices.
For those looking for some less intense Halloween weekend carousing, there are, of course, plenty of family-friendly options to choose from.

The Demon Trail: Carnival of Souls
Descend into the depths of mayhem as the Demon Trail haunts Crossroads Farm in Malverne, continuing Saturday and Sunday. Using the farm as an interactive stage, the Malverne Community Theatre introduced the community to its Demon Trail last year, guiding visitors on a 25-minute walk featuring more than two dozen actors, scary décor and a creepy storyline that involves visitors in the experience.

This season’s edition of the Demon Trail takes revelers through a Carnival of Souls, described as “a once vibrant carnival, full of carnival-ish things. Deserted. Abandoned. Overgrown. But not everyone — or everything — left. The demons are running the show now.”
Small groups are guided along the trail, with enough distance between them to create a lively, intimately creepy experience for all. “Last year we had a total of 400 people walk through the Demon Trail,” David Coonan, the troupe’s president and a resident of Lynbrook, told the Herald, emphasizing that latest version will be even scarier.
Stroll along the Demon Trail, if you dare, Oct. 28 and Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. Admission is $10. Crossroads Farm, 480 Hempstead Ave., Malverne. For information, contact www.malvernetheatre.org.

Haunted Tales
Old Bethpage Village is the kind of place where visitors come to explore the restored period homes and step back in time to the 19th century. But for Halloween it all turns genuinely spooky. The historic buildings and paths reflect a creepy, even sinister feeling now that “Haunted Tales” has taken over the restored site.
Using this quaint village as its canvas, “Haunted Tales” blends history with horror, creating a unique twist to the season’s classic haunted house. The theatrical tour allows stories to come to life as costumed tour guides lead guests by lantern-light through the village’s darker recesses. Check out the haunted houses and Dr. Jekyll’s Office, along with seven haunted tales, fire juggling and a Coney Island Slide Show.
Ge spooked, Friday through Sunday, Oct. 28-30, 6-11 p.m.; last admission is 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, $15 children under 12. Old Bethpage Village Restoration, Round Swamp Rd., Old Bethpage. (516) 572-8401 or www.obvrnassau.com.
 
Ghostly Gala
Long Island Children’s Museum opens its doors for its annual Ghostly Gala, always a popular source of Halloween fun for area families. Everyone is encouraged to visit the museum in their most creative and dazzling costumes (adults too) for a safe, mildly creepy Halloween
celebration.
The mood is set with creepy music heard throughout the museum, as everyone gathers for evening of festive goings-on, including trick or treating throughout the galleries. There’s no need to bring a goody bag to collect your treats, visitors will decorate their own special bag, along all sorts of activities that bring out the creatively spooky flavor of this time of year.
“Ghostly Gala is truly a magical night at the museum,” says LICM President Suzanne LeBlanc.“The night includes all the events of the holiday, costumes and trick or treating, plus memorable experiences, like our live bat show. Our staff is as excited as our family visitors to put on their Halloween costumes to greet everyone and to create an event that is a tradition for so many in the community.”
Musician Chris Peters joins the festivities, creating just the right level of eerie ambiance for the annual after-hours Halloween party. Visitors can have their face painted, make creepy craft projects to take home, and try to locate the whereabouts of this year’s special guest, Pikachu. And also, feel your way around the foggy “Creepy Creature Swamp” for some additional hands-on Halloween fun.
And what’s Halloween without bats? Some additional guests are swooping in, courtesy of the Organization for Bat Conservation. Get to know these creatures from around the world, with conservation biologist Rob Mies, who will dispel the many myths surrounding bats, throughout the evening in the museum theater, 6:15, 7, 7:45 and 8:30 p.m.
The ghostly theme continues on Sunday, by the way, when families can create a floating ghost for their Halloween hauntings and even watch it fly in a wind
tunnel.
Join the fun in your best costume, Saturday, Oct. 29, 6-9 p.m. Advance ticketing is advised for this event. Admission is $10 per person ($8 members); with an additional $4 fee ($3 members) for the bat show. Long Island Children’s Museum, Museum Row, Garden City. (516) 224-5802 or www.licm.org.

Baldwin Halloween Fest
If spooks don’t appeal to your family, check out Baldwin’s Family Halloween Fest at Milburn Park, on Saturday, instead. The free event, sponsored by Assemblyman Brian Curran, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Anthony Santino and Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano, includes varied activities: pumpkin decorating, face painting, a cookie design station, pony rides, prizes for best costumes, and refreshments.
Enjoy the festivities, Oct. 29, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Milburn Park, Merrick Rd., Baldwin.

House of Horrors
See what thousands of people witness every year. The Franklin Square Horror has a reputation as one of America’s scariest home haunts.
It plays host to over 3,000 people yearly on Halloween night. This year’s “Haunted Funeral Home” celebrates the 20th anniversary of Franklin Square’s landmark Halloween attraction, conceived by Joe Allocco, with assistance from friends and neighbors.
“I invite everyone to visit the Norbay Street Haunted Funeral Home,” Allocco told Stepping Out, “I’ve made it even creepier this year. It’s an even bigger event this year since its in its 20th year.”
That’s a milestone that deserves to be commemorated with all sorts of ghoulish surprises, according to Allocco. He says that he “increased the size, added extra new terrifying props and effects, and really upped the ante on this one. The scare factor has been elevated.”
The “funeral home” includes a viewing room; an autopsy room, in which guests will see a body being “worked on”; a morgue with hanging bodies; and even a crematorium to pass through. “It’s a little graphic,” Allocco acknowledges, noting that he and his 15 actors seek to balance a family atmosphere amidst the creepiness. “We try to make this family-friendly but still want to scare people.”
The action actually starts out on the street, while visitors are waiting to get inside. Special guests — including Leatherface, Freddy Krueger, Friday the 13th’s Jason, and Michael Myers will be wandering around outside. “It’s not too creepy, but will keep everyone on their toes,” says Allocco.
“I try to makes this the best that I can each year,” says Allocco, who runs his custom painting/design company Joe Faux Designs, when not in Halloween mode. “I love Halloween and love haunted houses. I want to utilize my talents as an artist to show my creative side and bring the community together. It’s become a tradition for many families year after year to come here on Halloween. So come by with friends and family for a scare.”
Allocco, by the way, also designed the haunted house attraction in Valley Stream, held last weekend at the Hendrickson Park Pool on Merrick Road.
He does not charge admission, but encourages donations to benefit charities. Allocco will be donating 100 percent of monies received this year to Camp Anchor, the Center for Developmental Disabilities and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau. “I want everyone to enjoy themselves and whatever you can give is great and much appreciated,” he says.
Stop by for a scare, Monday, Oct. 31, 6-10 p.m. (with rain date, Nov. 1). The house is located at 1148 Norbay St., Franklin Square. (516) 424-9555 or visit www.joea65.wix.com/franklin-square-horror for information.