Spooky season: Where to celebrate Halloween happenings in Middle Tennessee
Editor’s note: Dates and times may be subject to change.
Looking to have a frightful time this fall?
Several free and ticketed events, including trick-or-treating, theatrical performances, paranormal investigations and more are set to make one eerily epic spooky season this October.
Horrifying Halloween happenings can be attended all month long and even into the first half of November. Need dates, times and locations for the events in your area?
Keep reading for a list of local Halloween-themed and spooky events.
27th annual Candlelight Cemetery Tour
Date: Saturday, Oct. 7, from 5-10 p.m.
Location: Gallatin City Cemetery, 250 Cemetery Ave. in Gallatin.
Tour some of the oldest and most magnificent tombstones and memorials, dating to the early 1800s, at the 27th annual Candlelight Cemetery Tour. Listen as characters share their life stories along the candlelit path. Tickets cost between $12-$16 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.
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Gallatin Ghost Walk
Dates: Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 13-Nov. 4, at 7 p.m.
Location: Gallatin Public Square.
Explore the history and mystery of past- and present-day haunted locations around Gallatin's Public Square. Led by local author and historian Donna Lyn Hartley, the nearly 20-year-old Gallatin Ghost Walk visits some of the most haunted locations around historic downtown Gallatin. For reservations call 615-512-5299.
'Little Shop of Horrors'
Date: Friday, Oct. 13, from 7-9 p.m.
Location: The Palace Theater, 146 N. Water Ave. in Gallatin.
Start the season off right with a screening of "Little Shop of Horrors." But don’t delay, the first 100 people to purchase a ticket will receive a kit to grow their own Venus Fly Trap. Tickets cost $10 and can be purchased online. Tickets include a free small popcorn. Soft drinks and candy can be purchased for an additional $2.
Murder, Medicine & Mourning at Wynnewood
Date: Saturday, Oct. 14, from 6 -10 p.m.
Location: Wynnewood State Historic Site, 210 Old Highway 25 in Castalian Springs.
Have a spooky time touring the grounds of Wynnewood and learning about Victorian mourning customs, 19th century medical practices and deaths of the Wynne family during the annual Murder, Medicine & Mourning at Wynnewood. Hear the tale of the infamous murders on Bledsoe’s Lick by lanternlight and the frightful medical practices from the Victorian era. Tickets cost between $10-$15 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.
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Spirit: The Authentic Story of the Bell Witch of Tennessee
Dates: Oct. 19-21 and 26-27 at 7 p.m. and Oct. 28 at 8 p.m.
Location: Bell School Community Complex at 7617 Highway 41 in Adams.
Grab a front row seat on the grounds of the old Bell Family Farm and explore the events that terrorized the family more than 200 years ago in a decades-old theatrical retelling of the story Spirit: The Authentic Story of the Bell Witch of Tennessee. Tickets cost between $20 and $35 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.
Haunts at the Font
Date: Saturday, Oct. 21, from 6 -10 p.m.
Location: 200 Cragfont Road in Castalian Springs.
Spend a night with the spirits of Cragfont with an interactive walking tour and storytelling at the annual Haunts at the Font event. A lantern will guide guests from the historic tobacco barn to Cragfont, while characters from its spirited past recount terrible tales. Tickets cost between $12-$15 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.
White Bluff Halloween Spooktacular
Date: Sunday, Oct. 22, from 2-4 p.m.
Location: Veterans Memorial Park, at 5066 TN-1 in White Bluff.
The annual White Bluff Halloween Spooktacular, hosted by the White Bluff Police Department, returns for another year on the ballfield.
Trail of Treats
Date: Thursday, Oct. 26, from 6-8 p.m.
Location: Michael L. Arnold Municipal Park, at 420 Highway 76 in White House.
Kids can fill their Halloween pail with candy at Trail of Treats, a free community event. In case of rain, the event will be rescheduled for Monday, Oct. 30.
Trick or Treat at Rose Mont
Date: Friday, Oct. 27, from 5-7 p.m.
Location: Historic Rose Mont, 810 S. Water Ave. in Gallatin.
Satisfy that sweet tooth at Rose Mont’s family-friendly Trick or Treat event, where kids can go door-to-door for candy inside the historic 1800s home, followed by a dance party in the reception hall. Hot dogs will also be available for snacking.
Rocky Horror Gala
Dates: Friday, Oct. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 28, from 9:30 p.m.-2:30 a.m.
Location: The Palace Theater, at 146 N. Water Ave. in Gallatin.
Folks ages 21 and older can attend a showing of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" in support of the local and historic Palace Theater in Gallatin. Riff Raff’s pre-party begins at 10 p.m., followed by the screening at midnight. Tickets cost between $60 and $120 and can be purchased online, along with exclusive Rocky Horror Gala merchandise.
Halloween in the Park
Date: Saturday, Oct. 28, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Location: Moss-Wright Park, 745 Caldwell Drive in Goodlettsville.
Have a scary good time at Halloween in the Park, featuring a DJ, dancing, pumpkin patch, crafts, games, photo booths, inflatables and treats. Carnival food will be available for purchase at the event.
2nd annual Touch-a-Truck-or-Treat
Date: Saturday, Oct. 28, from 12-2 p.m.
Location: Triple Creek Park, Highway 31 E. in Gallatin.
Be there or be square at the second annual Touch-a-Truck-or-Treat event, featuring police cars, ambulances, fire trucks and more. Candy will also be handed out during the event.
4th annual Halloween Bash in Greenbrier
Date: Saturday, Oct. 28, from 5-10 p.m.
Location: Louise Martin Memorial Park at 123 Park Court in Greenbrier.
Join the community in celebrating spooky season at the fourth annual Halloween Bash in Greenbrier.
The Inaugural Boo Bash: Presented by Gallatin Day Care Center
Date: Saturday, Oct. 28, from 6-11 p.m.
Location: Sycamore Springs, 3712 Highway 31 E. in Bethpage.
Enjoy an evening of costumes and cocktails while raising funds for the Gallatin Day Care Center at the first Boo Bash. Guests can look forward to a cocktail hour with live jazz, food, a costume contest, prizes and more. Tickets cost $75 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.
Tent or Treat
Date: Sunday, Oct. 29, from 4-6 p.m.
Location: J. Travis Price Park, at 4220-4222 Wilkes Road in Springfield.
Come for the candy, stay for the inflatables at Tent or Treat, hosted by Springfield Baptist Church in partnership with Springfield Parks and Recreation.
October Historic Bell Witch Cave public paranormal investigation
Date: Monday, Oct. 30, from 7 p.m.-1 a.m.
Location: The Historic Bell Witch Cave, at 430 Keysburg Road in Adams.
Investigate three locations on the grounds of the famed Historic Bell Witch Cave during a public paranormal investigation with Gallatin-based Black Wolf Paranormal and guest investigators Tim Kummer of Riverbend Paranormal Indiana and Krystal Blevins. Tickets cost $99 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.
Trick or Treat on the Square
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Location: Historic Downtown Gallatin, 146 N. Water Ave. in Gallatin.
Preschool children are encouraged to Trick or Treat on the Square among various vendors during the day as an alternative to doing so in the evening among the ghouls and goblins.
Trick or Treat at Richland Park
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 5-7 p.m.
Location: Richland Park, 321 Portland Blvd., Portland.
Have a happy Halloween at the family-friendly Trick or Treat at Richland Park event. Scare up a frightful costume and visit vendor booths for candy.
Firetrucks & Treats
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 6-11 p.m.
Location: Gallatin Volunteer Fire Department, at 425 S. Water Ave. in Gallatin.
Don’t forget to treat yourself, at the second annual Firetrucks & Treats event, featuring kid-friendly games, merchant marketplace, touch a truck tours, prizes and more.
Paranormal Investigation
Date: Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
Location: Historic Rose Mont, at 810 S. Water Ave. in Gallatin.
Raise the dead as well as money for the Historic Rose Mont Restoration Foundation at its first public paranormal investigation since being featured on the paranormal reality television series "Ghost Hunters." Connect with the six generations of the Guild family that have lived in the 1830s home. Tickets cost $35 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.
Bonus: Gallatin Comic Con 2023
Halloween isn’t your only opportunity to dress up this fall. Fans can dress like their favorite characters at Gallatin’s Comic Con in November.
Dates: Saturday, Nov. 11, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Location: 210 Albert Gallatin Ave. in Gallatin.
Dress up and get down at Gallatin Comic Con 2023, where folks can gather to celebrate comics, toys, cosplay and pop culture. Meet with cast members from "The Dukes of Hazzard," comic book writers and artists, the voice of Peppermint Patty, Patricia Patts and Tom Proctor from "Guardians of the Galaxy." Browse comics, toys, collectibles and more. Ticket costs range between $15-$150 and can be purchased online at Eventbrite.
Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Halloween happenings in Middle TN: Where to find frights, food and fun
