Fall Event Guide: Spooky (and not so spooky) events in Dartmouth

October brings a steady buildup to Halloween, with many themed events available in the Pleasant-Woodside area.

Combining stories and scares, the Dartmouth Heritage Museum (Evergreen House, 26 Newcastle St.) is putting on “The Unhinged Door” – an evening of frightening tales on Friday, October 17. This is a storytelling event for adults and older children (age 9 and up), facilitated by members of the Storytellers Circle of Halifax, a storytelling guild. The audience moves from room to room in the museum, getting ever more halloweeny chills and frights as the evening passes.

A similar event will take place over at the Quaker House (57 Ochterloney St.) on Saturday, October 18 and 25, titled “Quaker House After Dark: Stories and Dartmyths.” Drawing on supernatural stories of Helen Creighton and the creaks and spooks of a very old house, participants tour the museum after dark, followed by the ghosts of stories you might have wished you never knew. All museum events require tickets bought in advance at the Dartmouth Heritage Museum.

Alderney Gate Library is also putting on a host of Halloween-themed events for kids, including school P.D. day activities on October 24 (“Halloween Howl” and “Halloween Hijinks”) and Halloween crafts on October 21 and 28.

Just a few steps away, the Bluenose Ghosts Festival on Alderney Landing car park is open most nights before Halloween, featuring the spine-tingling Manor Haunted House, an escape room, a buried alive experience, spiritual readings and a selfie haunted park. Chills and scares are guaranteed at this immersive Halloween experience.

To spend a delightful evening without the shrieking, the Nocturne: Art at Night festival pops up in the downtown areas of Dartmouth and Halifax on the evening and night of Saturday, October 18. Glowing, provocative, entertaining, and sometimes just strange, Nocturne brings art out of museums and onto the streets, where it is raw and live and open to all. What a great night to take a stroll.

Finally, and very local, the Pleasant-Woodside Neighbourhood Association hosts its annual forum and AGM at COVE on Wednesday, Nov 5, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. All are welcome at this event, in which the present and future of the neighbourhood is discussed. Look for more information soon.

If you would like to propose an event for inclusion in this column, please email details to southdartmouthpostevents@gmail.com.