There's so many events happening this weekend for Halloween, it's hard to choose which ones to spotlight this year. Here are some ideas for family-friendly Halloween happenings in the area.

Happy Halloween!

Staunton Halloween Fall Fest

Over 43 downtown Staunton businesses are participating in Staunton's first Halloween Fall Fest. Descriptions for each activity provided by merchants. Visit http://stauntonfest.com for more information or to sign up for activities that require reservations and purchasing tickets in advance.

Trick or Treat downtown Staunton

• Drop by downtown Staunton businesses for a treat for the little ones

• Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

Horror Story Contest & Poe at Staunton Books

• Three-sentence Horror Story Contest: Enter now to scare us with your spookiest short composition. Judged by a panel of local authors and prizes awarded at the end of the month. http://stauntonfest.com/festivals/list

• An Evening with Poe: 7 p.m. Oct. 28. Join Staunton Books for an intimate evening of live readings by The Off Center at Staunton Books. Includes free coupon for any book in our shop. Reservations required, seating limited. https://checkout.square.site/buy/XGHXPCULL4B4S7XAOBD4UKW7

Spiderman!

The webslinger will brighten the darkest days with their presence. Get ready for some superhero selfies.

• Saturday, Oct. 28; all day in downtown Staunton

Ghosts of Staunton Ghost Tours

Providing walking, historic ghost tours of Staunton since 2008.

• 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

• $12-$16

• Ghosts of Staunton meets at the city parking garage beside Hotel 24 South, 32 S. New St., Staunton

Halloween Pet Costume Contest & Selfie Station

Come trick or treat with your dog and visit our selfie station to take a spooky photo and submit it for our Halloween pet costume contest. Chance to win a Well Balanced Paw gift card.

• 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

• The Well Balanced Paw, 29 Byers St., Staunton

Macrame Pumpkin Class at Burrow & Vine

Learn to macrame with Megan and add handcrafted, fall inspired decor to your home with this pumpkin fiber art. Beginner friendly, appropriate for ages 8 and up. Weather permitting, we will host class outside in the fall air.

• 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

• $20

• Burrow & Vine, 10 E. Beverley St., Staunton

Monster Models at Frontline Model Kits & Hobbies

Your local scale model kit and hobby store in downtown Staunton.

• 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

• Frontline Model Kits & Hobbies, 18 W. Beverley St., Staunton

Spooky Caturday

Drop in and choose from projects specially designed for the kiddos (spooky buddies), or pick one of our cat-themed projects. (This day will also be an open paint day, so feel free to select a project from any of our project options and then join us at the studio to bring your project to life.)

• 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

• $12

• Kreative Graces, 12B Byers St., Staunton

Halloween Dragon Visit at Staunton Farmers’ Market

The Dragon Preservation Society of Staunton will be at the farmers market with a Halloween dragon and handing out candy.

• 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 28

• The Dragon Preservation Society of Staunton

• Staunton Farmers' Market, 101 W. Johnson St., Staunton

Paint a Pumpkin at Juniper Lane

We have mini faux pumpkins for the little ones to come and paint for free. Limited supply of pumpkins, and we'll provide the paint pens.

• 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

• Free

• Juniper Lane, 29 E. Beverley St., Staunton

Dragon Quest at Staunton Books

Pack of collectable trading cards and self-guided tour of several Staunton historic sites with the real history and the dragon "mythstory" of each location. Find the clue at each site and win a free children's book of your choice.

• Saturday, Oct. 28, all day

• $13

• Staunton Books, 16 W. Beverley St., Staunton

Virtual Reality Zombie Rollercoaster Ride

Are you brave enough to strap yourself into our time machine and teleport to the zombie apocalypse? If so, come put on our virtual reality goggles and prepare yourself for a wild ride.

• Saturday, Oct. 28, all day

• $5

• Staunton Books, 16 W. Beverley St., Staunton

Séance: Family Secrets at Crack The Code Escape Room

Your father has recently passed away, but when he alludes to some dark secrets in his last breaths, you find that you know less about his life than you thought. Now left with more questions than answers, you and your friends hold a séance at his stately manor in order to unveil this mystery. But beware, because things aren’t always as they seem.

• Saturday, Oct. 28

• $30

• Reservations required to schedule a time

• Crack The Code Escape Room, 300 Church St., Bldg. B, Staunton

Mystical Intuitive Readings at Art Hive

Join us as we gather with Jennye Johnson, a clairaudient, clairsentient, and claircognizant psychic intuitive and medium. Come and hear your individual messages and guidance as we gather together in sacred circle. We may even be visited by those spirits waiting to deliver messages from the Other Side.

• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

• $15

• Art Hive, 835 Spring Hill Road, Staunton

Readings with Rachel at Little Shoppe of Crystals

Come have your cards read by a professional Tarot reader.

• Noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

• $10

• Little Shoppe of Crystals, 124 E. Beverley St., Staunton

Mimosa's Farm Annual Fall Festival in Waynesboro

Please join us for a little country fall festival in the city. Mimosa Farm is hosting a family-friendly day complete with costume contests, corn hole, children's activities, food trucks, trick or treating, shopping vendors, mini fall picture sessions and so much fun for free.

• 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29

• Free

• 601 Alphin Ave., Waynesboro

Fall Pumpkin Float at Lake Tams

Bring the entire family to the second annual Fall Pumpkin Float at Lake Tams featuring floating pumpkins, pumpkin carving (while supplies last), luminaries and fun family activities. Refreshments, music and child-focused activities will make this a frightfully-fun way to celebrate Halloween. Bring your carved pumpkin to the drop-off tent alongside the lake. We will provide the rafts as well as the light. Your pumpkin must weigh seven pounds or less to float. You may carve your pumpkin with a face, polka dots, your initials, or any other design — just make sure it’s family friendly.

• To reserve a raft, you must register online or in person at Staunton Parks & Recreation. The fee is $2 per raft, families can reserve as many as they would like. Pumpkin floats are limited. Pumpkins will not be returned to families after the event, they will be composted.

• 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28

• Lake Tams, 641 Gypsy Ave., Staunton

• Chicano Boy Taco and Perk Place food trucks will be onsite serving food and beverages.

Blue Ridge Tunnel After Dark

Have you ever wanted to explore a mid-19th century rail tunnel after dark? Nelson County Parks and Recreation is teaming up with Blue Mountain Brewery to bring the spooky out for our third annual Tunnel After Dark Event. We set the perfect ambiance lining the nearly one mile tunnel and a portion of the accessible Eastern Trail with luminary bags. Blue Mountain will be selling draft pours at the tunnel entrance. The event will also raise food and monetary funds to support the Nelson Food Bank just in time for the holidays.

• 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27

• This is a ticketed event: https://TunnelAfterDark.eventbrite.com

• Premium onsite parking: $25 per carload; offsite shuttle parking from Rockfish Fire Station $5 per person

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Halloween special events in Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro