Like a hodgepodge of candy found in a trick-or-treater’s bag, a variety of flavors can be sampled when celebrating the Halloween season. To scare up some suggestions, we’re gathering several seasonal events and experiences, each with their own brand of boo.
STONE MOUNTAIN
A Tour of Southern Ghosts at Stone Mountain Park
Thanks to ART Station in Stone Mountain Village, this year marks the 28th consecutive time this spooky storytelling event haunts the Antebellum Plantation area of Stone Mountain Park. Think “boo” with a southern accent. Guests journey along a lantern-lit path and meet six professional tale tellers, each donning period duds. The performers spin yarns ranging from the humorous to the frightening and back again. But don’t fret, the experience remains suitable for the whole family, never getting over-the-top scary. Expect stories about a buried porcelain doll, a ghost who hangs around an apple tree and a cautionary tale about kids taking cookies from an old woman in an old, dark house. Tours begin every 10 minutes, and each lasts 45 minutes.
7-9 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays; 7-9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturday. Through Oct. 27. $15; $7 ages 12 and younger; $10 parking. Stone Mountain Park, 1000 Robert E. Lee Drive, Stone Mountain. 770-469-1105; 770-498-5600, www.artstation.org.
AUSTELL
Fright Fest at Six Flags Over Georgia
Sure, you can still find all of the white-knuckle adrenaline rushes at the enduring theme park. Simply a ride on the behemoth Goliath roller coaster should induce enough screams for the average pair of lungs. However, Six Flags ups the ante for Fright Fest, its annual ode to Halloween. Organizers boast a total of 22 attractions exclusive to Fright Fest. Guests find new tricks and treats for 2013, including Monstrosity Championship Wrestling, a squared-circle smackdown with fangs and fur. A total of five scare zones, from the animal-human hybrids found at the Freak Show to the classic creatures dwelling in the Monster Graveyard, promise jolts and jumps throughout the park. Pony up a little extra for admission to one or all four of Fright Fest’s haunted houses. Other favorites return including rides aboard the Terror Train and the Last Ride. The latter is a coffin simulator that produces the sensation of being buried alive. Things go benign during the day. Bugs Buggy’s Spooky Town offers trick-or-treating and a kid’s costume contest. The comedic McBoogles family takes over the Hanson Cars. And the Lickskillet Harvest Festival includes a playground, pumpkin painting and more.
6 p.m.-midnight Friday Oct. 18 and 25; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays; noon-10 p.m. Sundays. Through October 27. $39.99-$49.99 online. At the park: $59.99; $39.99 children 48” and smaller; free ages 2 and younger. Six Flags Over Georgia, 275 Riverside Parkway, Austell. 770-948-9290, www.sixflags.com/overGeorgia/index.aspx.
CONLEY
Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse
This haunted attraction runs guests inside and throughout the grounds of a defunct truck stop and motel while being chased by brain-hungry zombies. The post apocalyptic-like ruins provide the choice setting for the experience, something akin to stepping into an episode of “The Walking Dead.” Even Linnea Quigley (“The Return of the Living Dead”) and Lynn Lowry (“The Crazies”), a pair of real-life cult film scream queens, recently paid a visit. Those who decide to do it themselves have a choice between haunts dubbed “Return of the Curse of the Undead,” “?” and “Zombie Killer.” The latter puts automatic Airsoft guns in the hands of visitors who then face off against the zombies stalking the hotel halls. The box office opens at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 8 p.m.
8 p.m. Oct. 17-19; 24-27; Nov. 1-2. $20 for “Return of the Curse of the Undead” and “?”; $30 “Zombie Killer”; $35 for “Return of the Curse of the Undead” and “?”; $60 for all three. Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse, 4215 Thurman Road, Conley. www.atlantazombie.com.
WESTSIDE
Scoutmob and The Goat Farm Arts Center Present Halloween 2013 at Goat Farm Arts Center
Expect plenty of artsy splatter at this Halloween soiree, which has quite the reputation. The Goat Farm offers studio space for creators to whip up a witch’s brew of art, performance, science, design, and technology. You’ll find each of those disciplines present at the party, as Scoutmob and the Goat Farm put their brains together like a pair of mad scientists. Keep an eye out for sites such as an interactive 12-foot walking astronaut puppet, live science experiments, a 13-foot firebird sculpture and an array of arts installations. Dance tunes will likely keep bodies moving, and performance art may stop ghosts and goblins in their tracks. Itchy-O, a 36-piece marching band, promises immersive musical entertainment. Food trucks, such as Arepa Mia, Poor Huey’s and Sugar-Coated Radical, set up shop on site. Each guest receives two drink tickets for wine, beer and mixed drinks, and one complimentary Frozen Pints Craft Beer Ice Cream. The party takes place rain or shine, and while much of the event will take place indoors, it’s best to come prepared to face that potential fall chill.
8 p.m. Oct. 26. $35. Goat Farm Arts Center, 1200 Foster St., Atlanta. http://handpicked.scoutmob.com/atlanta/hand-picked/scoutmob-plus-the-goat-farm-arts-center-present-halloween-2013.
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