October has arrived, the weather is cooler, and Halloween is just around the corner. The Atlanta metro area has several Halloween attractions that offer fun for the entire family. The following festivities run through the month, but most of the family activities are scheduled for the weekends.

Stone Mountain Park celebrates the season with their 8th Annual Pumpkin Festival on October weekends. Children are welcome to come dressed in their Halloween costumes for the Pumpkin Patch Party and the Children’s Costume Contest. There will be Trick or Treat Scavenger Hunts, Storytelling, and the Great Pumpkin Puppet Parade. The entire family can participate in Dress Your Own Scarecrow and the Pie Eating Contest. On Saturday nights visitors will be able to stay and enjoy the park’s Laser Show. Stone Mountain Park’s Pumpkin Festival has become an Atlanta favorite for kids and adults.

Six Flags Over Georgia offers their Fright Fest from October 2-31. Children, teenagers, and adults will enjoy the park’s many seasonal activities. Families with young children may participate in the pumpkin painting, spooky story time, costume contest, and Trick or Treating held at Bugs Bunny’s Spooky Town. Older kids, teenagers, and adults may enjoy the Corn Maze and Dr. Fright’s Frightorium, a 17 room haunted house. In addition, other Halloween entertainment is scheduled, as well as a Spooktacular Street Party. Of course, the park’s famous roller coasters and other rides will also be operating.

The Atlanta Botanical Garden hosts its Scarecrows in the Garden from October 1-31. Visitors will be able to enjoy more than 100 scarecrows, imaginatively crafted by individuals, schools, businesses, and organizations. The scarecrows are placed throughout the gardens. Every weekend the Botanical Garden will offer games and crafts in the Children’s Garden. Goblins in the Garden is scheduled for October 24. Children may come dressed in their Halloween costumes for a parade, games, pony rides, a train ride, and special treats. On the evening of October 28 the Garden will hold the Great Chefs of Atlanta Pumpkin Carving Contest. Local chefs will compete to carve award winning pumpkins. Afterwards the pumpkins will be auctioned off to benefit the Garden and its programs.

Atlanta offers many fun Halloween festivities throughout October. Residents and visitors will find plenty of fun and spooky activities to enjoy.

By Shabbir Lightwala