Every year we have a community blog post with events and activities happening around Victoria for Halloween. COVID-19 has severely impacted these, however there remains a few events and activities that can be enjoyed this month during the season of the pumpkin. Share your spooky experiences with us! 

ONLINE

Puppets To Go

Where: Indoors
When: Always
Cost: Free (with GVPL library card)
Website: GVPL

A fluffy bunny. A charming lion. A gentle turtle. Stories come to life with puppets and help your child create a world of make-believe.

GVPL’s Puppets to Go kits encourage children to stretch their imaginations and their storytelling skills. Together, read a book from the kit, then let your child take the lead with the puppets, retelling the story in their own words or inventing a tale with new characters, personalities, experiences and feelings.

Tea & Talks | The Canadian arctic expedition: the Karluk tragedy’s awful unauthorized sequel

Where: Maritime Museum of BC - Zoom
When: October 8, 2:30pm
Cost: $5.00
Website: MMBC

For this week’s talk, join Caroline Preston to discuss stories from the Canadian Arctic Expedition. During the Canadian Arctic Expedition (1913-18), the ship Karluk was trapped in the ice and drifted nearly to Wrangel Island off Siberia; 12 out of 25 survived in a harrowing example of heroism, frailty and a flawed leader, Vilhjalmur Stefansson. This talk’s focus is his unauthorized “colonization” of Wrangel Island for Canada (1921-23). Out of five (including one token young Canadian), only the Inupiat woman, Ada Blackjack, survived. They were all heroes and their stories should be told.

Virtual Trivia Night

Where: Maritime Museum of BC - Zoom
When: October 16, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Cost: Donations Accepted
Website: MMBC

Trivia nights are our one of our favourite things to plan for you, so find your most nautical friends, your zaniest virtual Zoom background (highly encouraged) and try to come up with a witty trivia team name as we try to stump you with a new set of maritime-themed trivia!

Using Zoom, Maritime Museum staff members will ask trivia questions, all with a maritime twist, and the team that answers the most questions correctly will win a prize!

New and returning participants are all welcome! We will be capping off our trivia night at ten teams – so save your place quickly! Maximum four people per team.

Nautical Nights | Ready for Rescue: Celebrating Lifesaving on the Raincoast

Where: Maritime Museum of BC - Zoom
When: October 22, 7:00pm – 8:30pm
Cost: $5.00
Website: MMBC

Adrian will share some notable highlights of our coastal lifesaving heritage.

Discover the historical origins of search and rescue in antiquity and take a look at how the measures for near shore rescue have evolved along our coastline.  Explore how rescuers have adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He’ll give you a small dose of some of the more notable west coast rescues as well as an overview of how the modern global SAR system relates to our local situation and setup, including the quadrennial World Maritime Rescue Conference that was held in Vancouver last year.

RBCM@Outside at Point Ellice House

Where: Zoom - Webinar
When: Oct 14, 2pm
Cost: Free
Website: RBCM

Join Royal BC Museum Learning Program Developer Liz Crocker and Point Ellice House Executive Director Dr. Kelly Black, for an outside conversation about the history of this fascinating house and property. Built in 1861-2, Point Ellice House is one of Victoria's oldest homes. It is both a national and provincial historic site. Home to the O'Reilly family for 108 years, Point Ellice House has many connections to the history of Victoria and British Columbia. We'll learn about the house and grounds, including two acres of heritage gardens, and the new feature exhibit, Springs and Scavengers: Waste and Water in Victoria, 1842-1915.

OUTDOORS

GVPL Story Walk

Where: Outdoors
When: Always
Cost: Free (with GVPL library card)
Website: GVPL

A StoryWalk® is an innovative and delightful way for children – and adults – to enjoy stories in the great outdoors. Pages from a children’s book are hung or attached to wooden stakes along a path outdoors. As you stroll down the trail, you’ll go from page to page, enjoying the story along with a walk in nature. Kits can be borrowed with a valid, adult GVPL library card. 

Nature Exploration - Afternoon Guided Walk

Where: Metchosin, Devonian Regional Park
When: Oct 17, 2020, 1pm-2pm
Cost: $7
Website: CRD

Devonian Regional Park (Metchosin) Bring up to six members of your household and join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist on a personalized walk to connect to your local park. Through activities and demonstrations we'll learn about creatures that call the park home and reveal their surprising relationships. You're sure to see the park in a new way after this guided walk.

Nature Exploration - Afternoon Guided Walk

Where: Saanich, Francis/King Regional Park
When: Oct 25, 2020, 1pm-2pm
Cost: $7
Website: CRD

Francis/King Regional Park (Saanich) Bring up to six members of your household and join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist on a personalized walk to connect to your local park. Through activities and demonstrations we'll learn about creatures that call the park home and reveal their surprising relationships. You're sure to see the park in a new way after this guided walk.

Embracing the Wild: Gardening with Native Plants

Where: Saanich, Swan Lake Nature Centre
When: Oct 30, 2020, 12:30pm-3:30pm
Cost: Free
Website: CRD

Capital region residents are invited to participate in a free introductory workshop about gardening with drought-resistant native plants.

This workshop includes native plant identification, an overview of their benefits and cultural history, a tour of Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary native plant gardens and an introduction to CRD water conservation programs.

Space is limited to eight participants. Pre-registration is required and drop-ins cannot be accommodated.

Metchosin Halloween & Bonfire

Where: Municipal Grounds at 4450 Happy Valley Road
When: Wednesday October 31, 6 - 9 pm
Cost: Free

This year we are stepping it up a bit on the scare factor and have put together a ‘haunting hall’ for the brave of heart to enter.  Not to worry, for the wee little ones we have our traditional Halloween costume contest, preschool corner,  free hot dogs & juice, a huge bonfire and of course fireworks!
 
At last years event we had well over 600 people on the grounds enjoying the entertainment, games and community spirit.  We served in excess of 500 hot dogs and 40 gallons of juice.  Glow-sticks & candy are always popular items with the kids, and our firefighters enjoyed the extra attention   Metchosin can also boast the largest Halloween bonfire in the Western Communities, if not all of Victoria! We hope you, your family and friends can come and join us – helping to keep our kids safe and out of trouble and make this a family event we can all enjoy together.

TOURS

Ghostly Walks - Halloween Tour

Where: Market Square, 560 Johnson Street
When: October 9 - November 1
Cost: Adults: $20, Seniors: $15, Students: $15 Children: $10 Ages 6-11
Website: Discover the Past

On our annual Halloween tour, we make sure to tell many of our favourite gruesome tales but we also include new and previously untold stories. Though we always start our Halloween Ghostly Walks from Market Square, the route is slightly different every year. Whether you are new to ghost stories or have been on our tours before, our special Halloween route has something for everyone. Some of the highlights from previous years include: the ghost of the star-crossed Chinese lover, the ghost in the Broad Street bordello, a famous doppelgänger, the mysterious ghost in Trounce Alley, hauntings in Helmcken Alley and classic tales from Bastion Square, the story of the ghost of Belle Adams who slit her boyfriend’s throat, a Jack-the Ripper-style murder and more.

Psychic Ghost Walk

Where: Ross Bay Cemetery (begins at 1516 Fairfield Rd.)
When: Sunday October 18, 2pm
Cost: $5
Website: Old Cemeteries Society 

Clairvoyant medium Dawn Kirkham and members of her paranormal investigating team Beyond Belief Paranormal Events will lead a walk through the cemetery and share information they receive from the location or the spirits they encounter. They will also explain what clairvoyance is and demonstrate some basic techniques they use.

Annual Ghost Tour – RBC

Where: Ross Bay Cemetery (begins at 1516 Fairfield Rd.)
When: Sunday Oct 25, 2pm
Cost: $5
Website: Old Cemeteries Society 

One of the OCS’s most popular annual tours is based on ghost stories linked to people buried at RBC. On some of the graves the occupants might even seem to come to life and tell their tales. Extra guides will be on hand for large numbers.

Victoria Haunted Horsedrawn Tours

Where: Victoria Carriage Tours, Belleville & Menzies St.
When: Wednesday October 30, 6:00 pm, 7:00 pm, 8:00 pm
Cost: Adults: $25, Seniors: $23, Children under 12: $20

Take a ride back in time on our haunted horse drawn trolley down the dark streets of Victoria and hear about the scary occurrences in the most haunted neighbourhoods on the west coast, you just might see a ghost or two! This 45 minute tour is fully narrated by one of our ghostly guides and to make it even more real, every story told is true! The tour was written by the renowned local spooky historian John Adams!

CORN MAZE

Saanichton Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch

Where: Ocean View Estates (7979 Central Saanich Rd)
When: October – Book in Advance
Cost: Adult $10, Child (3-12) $7 
Website: Corn Maze

Come enjoy twists and turns through 2 acres of tall corn. Enjoy ocean and mountain views across the San Juan islands and catch a vibrant sunset that lights up the sky - make memories. 

All tickets now include access to our beautiful Pumpkin Patch as well. Come and pick your favourite pumpkin! Due to Covid-19 we have switched to online ticketing to allow better control of the number of guests on our farm at one time. 

Galey Farms Corn Maze

Where: Galey Farms (4150 Blenkinsop Road)
When: TBD
Cost: $6-$8
Website: Galey Farms

Get Lost! then find your fun in Canada's leading 2 Hectare Corn Maze! Galey Farms has cut it's Corn Maze paths 4 meters wide to keep our staff and visitors safe due to Covid 19 protocols.

Open to Ticket Holders Only. Tickets will be sold online, details to come.

Wind your way along the paths that lead to exciting exhibits and surprises! Fully animated Ghost Town and Haunted Mansion. You and your family will have hours of a-mazing fun!

Galey Farms Carnevil

Where: Galey Farms (4150 Blenkinsop Road)
When: TBD
Cost: $6-$8
Website: Galey Farms

Carnevil is Victoria's most amazing 6,000 square foot Haunted House of terror (PG13) . We are working on the details to make this a safe and fun event for everyone while keeping it safe for our staff and visitors following Covid 19 Protocols. Ticket sales with be ONLINE ONLY! Please stay tuned, more information to come.

EVENTS

Craigdarroch Castle – Frankenstein Theatre Nights

Where: Craigdarroch Castle
When: October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 6:00-7:30pm
Cost: $32.79
Website: Book

Victor Frankenstein created a monster. The terror and fear that monster inspired is legendary. But do you know the real story? Do you dare listen to it in the upper reaches of Craigdarroch Castle on a dark October night?

Actor Jason Stevens makes a rare non-Christmas appearance in our dance hall with his interpretation of this classic gothic horror story. If you've been delighted by Jason's one-man performance of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol”, you won't want to miss his gripping take on Frankenstein.

ESCAPE ROOMS

Horror Escape Victoria

Where: 523 Broughton St.
When: Monday to Friday 3 - 11 pm, Saturdays & Sundays 12 - 11 pm
Cost: Adults $25+GST PP
Website: Escape Room Games Victoria

You have 45 minutes to uncover a mystery in their detailed escape room sets, finding clues, solving puzzles, triggering high tech props and unlocking your way into multiple rooms! They offer 3 thrilling escape rooms at Horror Escape and launch a new room every year.

Victoria Escape Games

Where: 531 Yates St. - 2nd floor - Unit #203
When: Available 24/7
Cost: Indoor Games: $25, Outdoor Games: $35
Website: Victoria Escape Games

Escape Rooms are cooperative 5D live-action adventure games that involve puzzles, codes and the sleuthing of clues! They are famous for stimulating the mind and building social connections. Victoria Escape Games is Vancouver Island's boutique escape room company, offering 100% exclusive and innovative live-action adventure games. We believe that escape rooms are at their best when they challenge and stimulate our minds, not frighten or startle us. Our games feel more like “The Da Vinci Code” than the movie “Saw.”