The spirit of Halloween is Everywhere

Below is a list of Halloween events throughout the Straus readership area: Friday, Oct. 21 Monroe, NY The first Monroe “Great Pumpkin Festival” runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the rear field of Sacred Heart School on Still Road in Monroe. More than 250 carved (with some painted) and lit pumpkins will be arranged in a community display. Admission is free. There will be a bake sale and hot beverages available for purchase. To learn more, e-mail to monroepumpkins@gmail.com. Saturday, Oct. 22 Sussex, NJ The Sussex Elks Lodge 2288 is holding a spooktacular Halloween Dance for adults from 7-11 p.m. Admission is $25 per person or $40 a couple and includes a buffet dinner and dancing to music provided by a most haunting DJ. Cash bar available. Costumes are optional. The money raised will help the Elks continue their mission to be the premier charitable organization in the community through their support of children with special needs, service to veterans, scholarships and more. The lodge is located at 152 Lewisburg Road (Route 565) in Sussex. Call Kim at 862-266-5043 or Dawn at 973-903-9196. Greenwood Lake, NY This Saturday in Greenwood Lake from 2 to 4 p.m. there will be Trick or Treating at the businesses along Main Street. The Halloween parade starts at 4 p.m. and participants should gather at the Greenwood Lake Elementary School. The parade goes to the Greenwood Lake Park. Festivities for the day continue from 7 to 9 p.m. with Terror on the Trail, a spooky trail walk organized by the Greenwood Lake Merchants Guild. Participants should meet at the Greenwood Lake Park. Sunday, Oct. 23 Goshen, NY Halloween party and anything apple bake-off at Salesian Park in the Village of Goshen from 1-4 p.m. For Goshen residents only. Costume parade for children begins at 1:30 p.m. Bake off entries must be submitted between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. for judging. Winners will be announced at 4 p.m. and gift certificates to local restaurants will go to the judge’s top three favorite dishes. Activities include bounce houses and scavenger hunt. All adult and children attendees must pre-register for the party and bake off. For more information or to register visit www.goshenrecreation.org or call 845-294-1558. Monroe, NY Museum Village “No Scare Halloween” on Route 17M in Monroe, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission fees apply. Call 845-782-8248 Tuxedo Park, NY Pumpkin painting at the Tuxedo Park Library at 1 p.m. Paint a pumpkin at the Library. Wear old clothes. All ages welcome (5 and under with an adult). Call 845-351-2207. Tuesday, Oct. 25 Highland Mills, NY Decorate a Pumpkin at the Woodbury Public Library from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. For grades K-1. Call 845-928-2114 Warwick, NY The Albert Wisner Public Library will host an exhibit and program about the supernatural in Warwick history at 6:30 p.m. The Black Dirt Storytelling Guild will perform local historic ghost stories that have been disturbed in their graves and are rising again for this special performance. A companion exhibit featuring Witches, Ghost Stories, UFOs, and objects of luck and protection from the collection of the Warwick Historical Society will run in the Wisner Local History Room throughout October. The free program is open to Warwick school district adults, teens and attentive listeners age 10 and up with parent. Registration required; sign up at www.albertwisnerlibrary.org, or call the library help desk at 987-1047 menu option 3. Warwick, NY The Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Halloween Mixer for local businesses at Pennings Farm Market from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Costumes are optional and there will be appetizers, wine, beer, and live music by local musician Peter Holmgren. The price for members is $5 and $15 for nonmembers. Wednesday, Oct. 26 Tuxedo Park, NY Tuxedo Park Library Halloween Hoot, 7 p.m. Itchy witches, dancing demons and jumping jack-o’lanterns are all on hand in this participatory, not too scary, Halloween Treat for families. Costumes are welcome. Call 845-351-2207 Thursday, Oct. 27 Warwick, NY Albert Wisner Library Preschool Halloween Party, 10 to 11 a.m. Children ages 3-5 are invited to come in costume for stories, crafts and games. parents can sign up to bring snacks, drinks and paper goods at the Children’s Desk. 845-739-5440 Warwick, NY Albert Wisner Library Halloween Tricks and Treats Night for grades 4-6 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Kids in grades 4-6 can to come for a night of stories, games, a craft and treats. Register in person or by calling the Children’s Library. Call 845-739-5440 Friday, Oct. 28 Sparta, NJ Munchkin March. Kids of all ages are invited to participate in this judged costume parade starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Nicholson Pavilion in Dykstra Park. Everyone gets a treat. No registration necessary but admission is a canned good for the food pantry. In the event of bad weather, check the township Web site or call 973-729-2383. Hopatcong, NJ Halloween Dance Party at Ronnie’s Dance Studio. Wear a costume if you like. Dance lesson and mixer. 7:30-11 p.m. $10. Bring a snack or dessert to share. 393 Maxim Drive, Hopatcong, N.J. Call 973-398-0098 for more information. West Milford, NJ Join the Pumpkin Patch Parade at the West Milford,Township Library from 2 to 3 p.m. Participate in a Halloween parade and story time. There’ll be stories, marching, games and treats for children of all ages. Costumes are welcome but not mandatory. To register for this free program call 973-728-2823 or stop by the Children’s Services Desk at the library, which is located at 1490 Union Valley Road. www.wmtl.org. Newton, NJ The Student Government Association at Sussex County Community College is hosting a haunted hayride and Halloween party for community members of all ages. There will be a children’s party in the cafeteria, located in the D building, from 6-9 p.m. which offers games and activities run by SCCC students. From 6-10 p.m., people of all ages are invited to take a haunted hayride around the campus as students act out a horror story along the track. Snacks along with a hot chocolate and coffee bar will also be provided in the cafeteria. This event is free for all who attend. Newton, NJ Camp Iliff Halloween Bash will be held on 280 Spring St. in Newton from 7-9 p.m. $10 fee (parents free). The event will feature haunted rock climbing, tubes, slides and a costume contest. Stillwater, NJ Halloween dance and costume contest from 7-9 p.m. at Stillwater Elementary School hosted by the Kittatinny, N.J., Midget Competition Cheerleaders with DJ Quinn. The event will feature prizes and drinks and snacks will be available for purchase. All children in grades 4-6 in the Kittatinny district are invited to attend. Tickets are $10 at the door, $8 in advance. Contact Gail Kinney at 973-271-6597 for more information. Vernon, NJ Heaven Hill Farm in Vernon hosts its annual Halloween costume contest from 2 to 4 p.m. The contest is open to children ages 12 and under. Admission is free. Visit the farm market at Heaven Hill Farm by Oct. 28 to enter the Costume Contest and visit its costume shop. Contest prizes are: Grand prize: Best Overall Costume: Four tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, with round trip transportation into New York City courtesy of State Shuttle. First place: Most Original Costume: Mountain Creek Ski and Snowboard lift tickets; Cutest Costume: Mooseltoe show tickets courtesy of Morristown Community Theater; Scariest Costume: passes to Skylands Ice Rink. Second place: Most Original Costume: Four Pumpkin Palooza tickets at Heaven Hill Farm; Cutest Costume: Four Pumpkin Palooza Tickets at Heaven Hill Farm; Scariest Costume: Four Pumpkin Palooza Tickets at Heaven Hill Farm. For additional information and directions, contact Heaven Hill Farm at 973-764-5144 or www.heavenhillfarm.com. Saturday, Oct. 29 Milford, Pa. The Grey Towers Heritage Association and the US Forest Service at Grey Towers are hosting the American Readers Theatre Company as they present “Forevermore,” adaptations of four works of Poe on Saturday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. in the Great Hall of Grey Towers. An 8 p.m. reading may be added once the 6 p.m. programs sells out. The program is appropriate for high school age and older. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased at Grey Towers (Wednesday through Saturday) or on-line at www.greytowers.org. Call 570-296-9625 or visit the website at www.greytowers.org. Byram Township, NJ The Sussex Co. branch of AAUW, in cooperation with the Motorsport Club of North Jersey, is sponsoring its third annual running of Graveyard Gallivant, a gimmick-style road rallye, on Saturday, Oct. 29. The starting location for this event is the McDonald’s on Route. 206 in Byram Township, and the ending location is Pasta Grill by Enzo, on Route. 57 in Hackettstown. Trophies will be awarded. The cost is $25 per car. Sign-ups start at 10 a.m., with the first car off at 11 a.m. Space is limited, however, so participants are encouraged to pre-register at www.mcnj.org. Contact Lynn Beckmann at 862-268-1782, or send an e-mail to blek@ptd.net. Newton, NJ The Nature of Halloween at Kittatinny State Park, 157 Goodale Road, Newton, N.J. Pre-registration required by Oct. 28. For children ages 6-11. Investigate the natural history of this magical season and enjoy an outdoor scavenger hunt. 11 a.m. to noon. Free. 973-786-6445 for more information. West Milford, NJ Annual Halloween Parade sponsored by the West Milford Township Recreation. 10 a.m. at Bubbling Springs Park. Prizes will be given. Be part of the pumpkin carving contest. 11:30. Register on the day of the event. Wantage, NJ Not So Scary Halloween Party at the DAR Elias Van Bunschooten Museum, 1097 Route 23 , Wantage, NJ. Noon. (Rain date: Sunday, Oct. 30) $5 per child; no charge for adults, fun activities, games, prizes, a costume contest led by the Headless Horseman at 1 p.m. Food and more. Advance registration recommended by Oct. 21: family name, number of children, ages. Call 973-800-0458 or e-mail: jmwyman@hotmail.com. Tours of the historic house also available. Vernon, NJ Heaven Hill Farm in Vernon hosts its annual Halloween costume contest from 2 to 4 p.m. The contest is open to children ages 12 and under. Admission is free. Visit the farm market at Heaven Hill Farm by Oct. 28 to enter the Costume Contest and visit its costume shop. For additional information and directions, contact Heaven Hill Farm at 973-764-5144 or www.heavenhillfarm.com. Highland Mills, NY The Woodbury Parks Department hosts its annual Halloween Party at the Earl Reservoir in Highland Mills from 3:15 to 9 p.m. Activities will include pumpkin decorating, arts and crafts, a costume parade, haunted hay rides and a movie at dusk. Goshen, NY Old-Fashioned Halloween fun open house and spooky stable adventure, 10 a.m. to noon, at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame, 240 Main St., Goshen. For children ages 3-11. Creepy crafts, tricky games with prizes, candy treats, and a spooky Halloween adventure topped off with a ride on the Harness Racing 3-D Simulator. $3 per child (parents free). Call 845-294-6330. Goshen, NY “A Halloween Hoot,” a Musical Munchkins Halloween concert fund raiser for the Goshen Food Pantry, will be held from 11 a.m. to noon at the St. James Episcopal Church, 1 St. James Place, Goshen. Come in costume for Halloween songs, stories, puppets, interactive musical activities. Geared for ages 3-6 and their families (siblings welcome). Prizes and gift certificates to be raffled off. Home-baked treats and goodie bags for all children. Reservations are required. E-mail musicalmunchkinsoforange@gmail.com or call 845-895-1387. Admission is a bag of non-perishable food or donation to the Goshen Ecumenical Food Pantry. Monroe, NY Monroe Free Library Community Fall Fest 2011 from 2 to 5 p.m. No registration required (drop in). A party, a petting zoo, pony rides, crafts and games galore. Call 845-783-4411. Sunday, Oct. 30 Milford, Pa. A walking tour of the Laurel Hill Cemetery, Milford’s original town graveyard, located on the grounds of Grey Towers National Historic Site, 122 Old Owego Turnpike in Milford, begins at 1:30 p.m. The cemetery tour, co-sponsored by the Grey Towers Heritage Association, Pike County Historical Society and the US Forest Service, costs $5 per person and is open to the public. Pre-registration is strongly recommended and limited to 40 participants. Laurel Hill Cemetery served as the original town graveyard until the Milford Cemetery on Route 209 was established. Lori Strelecki of the Pike County Historical Society will share information about some of the cemetery’s most well-known inhabitants, including members of the Pinchot family. To purchase tickets online visit www.greytowers.org or call 570-296-9625. For additional information call 570-296-9630 or e-mail greytowers@fs.fed.us . Monroe, NY Participants in the first Monroe-area Halloween Parade should queue up in the parking lot adjacent to Planet Pizza at noon for a 12:30 start time. Individuals, families, schools, scout groups and community organizations from around the area are invited to participate. Currently, prizes will be awarded for these categories: “Scariest,” “funniest” and “most original.” Organizers are hopeful to add more categories. The parade will conclude at Smith’s Clove Park where younger participants can participate in Halloween-themed activities there. In case of rain, the parade will evolve into an indoor procession at Smith’s Clove Park. For updates on parade activities, visit www.villageofmonroe.org or call 783-8341. Sunday, Oct. 30 Tuxedo, NY Town of Tuxedo Halloween Hoot Show, performed by Musical Munchkins, from 3 to 4 p.m. For ages 2 to 6. Come in costume if desired. Refreshments will be served after the performance. Call 845-351-2265 Monday, Oct. 31 Florida, NY The Florida Volunteer Fire Department is hosting a Halloween Parade starting at 5:30 p.m. Tuxedo, NY Tuxedo Halloween Parade and Costume Contest, gather at 5:45 p.m. at Circle Drive for the parade. Call 845-351-2265 Warwick, NY The Warwick American Legion Post 214 and Village of Warwick are cosponsoring the Halloween Day Parade. Participants should gather for lineup at Church St. by 4 p.m. This year’s parade route goes along Main Street to Oakland Avenue and on to the Railroad Green. Ongoing Tickets for a Halloween dramatic reading of selected works of Edgar Allan Poe at Grey Towers National Historic Site, 122 Old Owego Turnpike, Milford,Pa., will be available beginning Oct. 1.