Superior gears up for Spooktacular Halloween events
Oct. 27—SUPERIOR — Phase two of Superior's Halloween events kicks off Saturday, Oct. 29, with a parade, music festival and pub crawl. A haunted house tour is ongoing through Halloween.
The Sterling Silver Studio Superior Spooktacular Parade will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday. The parade route will begin at the intersection of North 14th Street and Ogden Avenue; proceed north to Broadway Street; and then head east to end at Hughitt Avenue. Sterling Silver Studio has been hosting the parade since 2015.
Free children's games and prizes, as well as food available for purchase, can be found at the Salvation Army's Pumpkin Patch Carnival, which will take place from 2-5 p.m. Saturday.
The Goin' Postal Poltergeist Pub Crawl kicks off at 5 p.m. Saturday. The event is both a night of entertainment and a benefit for the Bluebird Foundation. The costumed pub crawl will wind through the city's North End neighborhood with a costume contest afterward at Top Hat Tavern. Participating taverns include Mike's Place, Thirsty Pagan Brewing, Top Hat Tavern, The Board Room, VIP Pizza, Tower Avenue Tavern, Whiskey's Last Resort, Lost in the '50s, Strikers and Superior Tavern. Tickets are $10 each and can be purchased at Top Hat Tavern, Tower Avenue Tavern, Lost in the '50s and Goin' Postal.
A music festival takes place in conjunction with the pub crawl. The Goin' Postal Fall Music Festival will keep toes tapping at four separate venues throughout the night.
Top Hat Tavern will host live music from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., featuring the Israel Malachi Band, The Fractals, Born Too Late, Virgil Caine and Boomstick.
From 6-10 p.m., VIP Pizza will host live music by John Seguin, Adam Herman, Woodblind and The Jane Gang.
Live music from Mark Connolly and Steve Solkela will be featured at Thirsty Pagan Brewing from 5-9 p.m.
Tower Avenue Tavern will host live music from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. featuring Boog3ym3n, Velahsa, Spider Penis and Theft by Swindle, with a costume contest and prizes.
Hauntingly creepy displays have popped up on lawns and yards throughout the city as part of this year's Haunt Your House event.
The home decorating phenomenon was created in 2020 when the parade could not take place, according to Sterling Silver Studio owner Carolyn Nelson-Kavajecz. Haunt Your House offered community members something fun to do during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was never intended to be a contest, just a chance to share their "Spooktacular spirit" with others and enjoy some Halloween fun.
The event was so successful that Haunt Your House has become a Spooktacular staple. Awards have been added to stir up some friendly competition, but at its heart the event isn't about who has the best home or the most decorations.
"It is about encouraging people to be creative, and to go out and explore the neighborhoods in our city," said Nelson-Kavajecz, chairwoman of the Superior Spooktacular Committee. "Haunt Your House is a free, family-friendly event that everyone can enjoy, and hopefully an event that helps to instill community pride in our citizens."
The winners of the home decorating contest, announced this week, were:
Judge's Choice: 1701 Hammond Ave.
Selfie Contest: 1632 E. Sixth St. The public was encouraged to go out and see homes in person and to take a "selfie" with their favorite home and share it on the Haunt Your House Facebook Event.
People's Choice Online Voting: 641 N. 22nd St. (175 votes). People could view and vote for entries online, regardless of their location or ability to travel throughout the entire city.
Master's Division: 2319 Susquehanna Ave.
Top New Entry: 907 N. 20th St.
Neighborhood Trick-Or-Treat Delight: 6223 Ogden Ave. This is a huge display with spooky characters, and even some sneaky skeletons trying to take a dip in the pool.
Spooktacular Spirit Award: 1111 Lincoln St. This award is given to the Haunt Your House Participant who went out into the neighborhoods to view homes and sent good vibes to all the participants.
"They demonstrated a 'positive Spooktacular community spirit' and that is really what Haunt Your House and the Superior Spooktacular is all about," Nelson-Kavajecz said.
There's still time to visit all the ghoulish displays. The homes will be decorated for the Haunted Halloween Tour through Oct. 31.
