It’s October, which means it is officially spooky season at Lake Martin! To get into the Halloween spirit, here are a few of our favorite Halloween events and attractions around the Lake Martin area that are sure to put you under their spell, enchant you with a good time … and maybe even give you a good scare! BOO!
Go To A Pumpkin Patch
Halloween isn’t complete without the perfect pumpkin!
The 3rd Annual Great Pumpkin Patch at Strand Park in downtown Alexander City has officially kicked off for the 2022 season, with 1,000 bright orange pumpkins ready for your picking! All of the pumpkins come in a variety of sizes, making it easy to find the perfect one to carve out a jack-o-lantern or use as a home decoration. The pumpkin patch is open Monday through Saturday and will continue to run through October 29th.
There will also be opportunities to pick out a pumpkin to take home from the pumpkin patch at Russell Crossroads at their Fall Family Festival on October 29th.
Go Trick Or Treating
Trick or Treat!
Grab your little goblins and ghouls and head to Alexander City for their big Downtown Trick or Treat. All of the local shops will be open and ready to hand out candy to the kids on Saturday, October 29th. This is also a great time as a parent to pop into the stores and buy yourself a little treat too!
Trick or Treating at Wind Creek State Park is another wildly popular event for their campers, and is just one of the fun Halloween activities taking place during their annual Fall Festival! Every year, campers go all out decorating their campsites to prepare for this day, making it just as fun for the adults as it is for the kids.
The Alexander City Trunk or Treat will also be happening October 27th, and New Site’s Trunk or Treat will be happening October 29th. There will be another Trunk or Treat happening at Stone Ridge Baptist Church October 30th.
Attend A Fall Festival
A Fall Festival is the perfect way to have some good old-fashioned family fun!
One of the most popular fall festivals in the area is held at Wind Creek State Park. Guests come from far and wide to be a part of Wind Creek State Park’s Fall Festival. This extravagant weekend, filled with pumpkin carving contests, a costume parade, trick or treating, and even a campsite decorating contest. The Wind Creek Fall Festival is held October 14th and 15th, and the campground often sells out months in advance for this weekend of fun.
The 9th Annual Dadeville Fall Festival takes place October 15th in the downtown Dadeville courthouse square. Along with food vendors, face painting, live entertainment, and pony rides, the Auburn Raptors will be putting on a wildly exciting show that you won’t want to miss!
Russell Lands will be hosting their annual Fall Family Festival on October 29th. Bring the whole family out to this one-of-a-kind event! Not only will you find a working blacksmith and a grist mill, but you’ll be treated to a Pumpkin Patch overflowing with big orange pumpkins perfect for decorating at home. There will be more games with cool prizes, wagon rides, pony rides, a Naturalist presentation, and lots more—you might be able to feed a real live camel in the petting zoo! You could also win cash prizes in their Blue Ribbon Canning and Baking Contests!
Also on October 29th, Main Street Alexander City will be hosting its Harvest Festival. There will be inflatables for the kinds to play on, as well as food vendors, artisans, local farmers and bakers, the Pumpkin Patch, and so much more! There will also be a walking history tour by Act II that day.
Take A Walk Through The Trails
Take a guided walk through the Russell Forest October 27th and 28th, wander along the ruins of the old Turpentine Distillery, and get to know the forest animals! Now in its second year, Turpentine Tales is a free event that will entertain children and adults alike. Meet on the Town Green at Russell Crossroads where our two trail guides will give a brief history of what was once the largest Turpentine Distillery in the Southeast. Then, you will be guided through the ruins where the animals will talk about their unique lives in the forest. You may find yourself listening to a black widow spider, a vulture, or maybe even a deer or two. And as you exit the ruins, the trail will lead you to a cozy fire where you can build your own s’mores!
On Halloween night, you can take a Halloween Night Hike through Russell Forest! If you’re looking for a spooky yet wholesome activity for the kids on Halloween night, bring them to the nature presentation and night hike in Russell Forest! Sun sets early these days, so kids will still have plenty of time for rest on a school night. Their Naturalist will begin a discussion about creepy critters of Russell Forest at 5:30pm at Wilson Road Trailhead. After sunset, a hike will begin as darkness settles in and flashlights will guide you through the woods as you share spooky tales about things lurking in the woods.
If you are in for more spooky fun, there is a haunted attraction nearby that is sure to give you a good scare! Located in Eclectic, AL is the new Mt. Hebron Haunted Trail. This haunt is a 10-15 minute walk into the woods, over bridges, and even through a Texas Chainsaw Massacre-inspired scene. However, the length of the trail depends on how scared you are … and how fast you run! Going into its 5th year, the haunted trail has been extended to be bigger than ever before, with new attractions, monsters, and haunted scenes. One of the must-sees is the “glow in the dark tunnel” with blacklight features. Mt. Hebron Haunted Trail runs every Friday and Saturday in October.
Hunt Down Zombies
Think you’ve got a good aim? Now is the time to prove it! Run after Zombies and shoot live, moving targets in this thrilling, physical paintball gun experience. The Lake Martin chapter of A Girl & A Gun will host a Halloween zombie hunt will take place at Wetumpka Zombie Experience on October 13th. Participants will carry their paintball guns through the woods, in the dark, and down a guided trail to hunt zombies… if you dare.
To check out more fun in the Lake Martin area this October, check out the Lake Martin Area Event Calendar. Here’s to wishing everyone a frightfully fun and happy Halloween!
