Fun, upcoming Halloween events hosted by Franklin Square's Rescuing Families

Franklin Square neighbors are invited to get into the spooky spirit with Rescuing Families this October as the local nonprofit hosts various Halloween events throughout the month. 

Community Marketplace

Community members are encouraged to bring their furry friends to the organization’s last community marketplace of the year at Municipal Lot 4 behind Wendy’s on Hempstead Turnpike Oct. 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Rescuing Families will host its first-ever pet parade during the event. Pet owners are encouraged to dress their pets up in costumes to win a prize for the cutest, funniest or best overall costume. The pet that wins the best overall costume will win a gift card to Pet Supplies Plus in West Hempstead. 

Roughly 35 craft and thrift vendors will participate in the event, according to Rescuing Families founder Gina Centauro. Vendors include Silent Stitches, Joe’s Wooden Creations, Gina’s own Truly Unique Designs and more. Attendees will be able to shop a variety of booths that will sell wooden creations, jewelry, potholders, planters and more. 

Gina and Vincent Centauro, both founders of the organization, will also be selling cement jack-o-lantern planters for $20. The price includes the cost of the plant and the planter. 

Families can look forward to raffles, a wheel of prizes, and a pay-to-play game tent this weekend at the marketplace. 

The rain date for this event is Oct. 20. 

Haunted Cemetery Walkthrough

Gina and Vinny will host a haunted cemetery walkthrough at their house located at 1010 Lewiston St. in Franklin Square Oct. 20, 27, 30 and 31. 

During each of those dates, attendees can enjoy free hot chocolate and snacks as they walk through. On Halloween, Rescuing Families will give out treat bags during the festivities. 

From 3 to 5 p.m. on those dates, Rescuing Families will host a sensory and kid-friendly walkthrough of the spooky cemetery.

“Nothing is going to be on and there will not be live people in the cemetery,” Gina said. “So they’ll be able to walk through and see everything and not get frightened.”

From dusk to 11 p.m., neighbors who choose to walk through the cemetery must be brave as a house of horrors awaits them at the end. Rescuing Families volunteers who will spook visitors and Halloween animatronics will make the cemetery come to life at night. 

“The house of horrors is not for the faint of heart,” Gina said. “That’s for kids that are a little bit older or braver and adults too. It’s a little bit scary and a little bit gory.”

The walkthrough will not have a flat entrance fee but will instead be donation-based for entry. 

“We know times are hard right now and we bring this to our community as something for the kids and adults to have fun so they don’t have to break the bank,” Gina said. “We love Halloween personally, and we thought what a great way to get the charity out there and also to give people something to enjoy for the holiday.”
Halloween Bingo Costume Party

Neighbors are invited to attend the third-annual Halloween Bingo Costume Party hosted by Rescuing Families at 7 p.m. on Oct. 25. The bingo part will be hosted at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2718 in Franklin Square at 68 Lincoln Road. 

At time of press, Gina said there were 15 tickets left for the popular hometown event. Tickets cost $35 per person and can be purchased at RescuingFamilies.org. The ticket price includes five bingo games, drinks, food and endless fun. The event is for those 18 and older. 

There will be 30 raffle baskets up for grabs at the event that will include prizes like sports memorabilia, gift certificates to local businesses, tickets to events across Long Island and regionally, hotel stays and more. 

Prizes will be awarded for the scariest, funniest and most creative costumes at the bingo party. 

Gina hopes to raise $15,000 at the event to help fund the organizations upcoming renovation projects in Valley Stream and Franklin Square.