Thrill or chill

Halloween-themed activities from spooky to spoopy*

click to enlarge Thrill or chill
August Frank/Inland 360 file
David Nee plays guitar and harmonica at a previous Pumpkin Palooza in downtown Lewiston.

Here’s just a sampling of events in the coming days. Find more in the calendar.


CHS Drama Club Haunted House
  • 6-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Monday-next Thursday.

  • Clarkston High School Auditorium, 401 Chestnut St.

  • Dracula? Frankenstein’s monster? The Wolf Man? Who knows who you might encounter at this all-ages haunted house featuring a classic monsters theme?

  • Admission, $5 at the door, supports the Clarkston High School drama program.

Oktoberfest Haunted Maze
  • 6:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and next Thursday.
  • American Firearms Defense, 318 Sonnen Road, Greencreek.

  • This spooky event on the Camas Prairie is geared toward teens and adults; children 10 and younger must enter with a grown-up.

  • Organizers estimate it will take about 30-45 minutes to navigate the maze.

    Beer and wine, chili and hot dogs will be available for purchase, and a bonfire and social are planned for each evening.

  • Tickets, $7.50, are at afdidaho.com/product/oktoberfest-scary-fun or at the gate.
click to enlarge Thrill or chill
Liesbeth Powers/Inland 360
Spiders and netting hang from an outdoor portion of the Shady Lane Zombie Hunt as part of this year’s Haunted Palouse event.

Haunted Palouse

  • 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

  • Downtown Palouse.

  • Tickets, $40, are at bit.ly/hauntedpalousetix for this 12-and-older-only series of haunted houses. Proceeds support community projects, including maintaining the town’s pool.

  • The attraction returns this year after a several-years hiatus with a zombie hunt and haunted houses in the police station and old Palouse Health Center. Check-in is from 7-10 p.m. in front of the Palouse Skate Park and Tony Kettel Skate Gardens. Costumes are encouraged.

  • No one younger than 12 will be admitted to the haunted houses, but an all-ages kids’ carnival and street fair is from 2-6 p.m. Saturday on Main Street.

  • The hauntedpalouse.com website includes a wealth of information about the event, including an FAQ and map showing restaurants, food vendors and street entertainment.

The Haunted Lodge Fright Festival
  • 5-11 p.m. Friday-Sunday.

  • Latah County Fairgrounds, 1021 Harold St., Moscow.

  • Admission to the Haunted Barn (6-11 p.m.) is $10, but you can get $2 off with a donation of pet food/supplies for the Humane Society of the Palouse or goods (make sure they’re not expired) for Inland Oasis’ West Side Food Pantry.

  • Also billed as a 12-and-older event, The Haunted Lodge’s Haunted Barn will temporarily transform from spooky to spoopy from 6-8 p.m. Sunday for an all-ages family night, returning to its higher scare factor from 8-11.

  • The festival, a fundraiser for local nonprofit organizations, is presented by the Moscow Eagles Lodge and includes a night market and vendor fair each evening starting at 5 p.m., a straw bale maze, live music and nightly activities. Saturday’s Zombie Prom, from 7-11 p.m., is $10 (same discount for donations as above) with music by local DJs.

  • More details are on Facebook at bit.ly/FBfrightfestival.

Pumpkin Palooza
  • Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

  • Downtown Lewiston.

  • Main Street will be closed to traffic from Third to Ninth streets so kids and their grown-ups can trick-or-treat at more than 60 stops during Beautiful Downtown Lewiston’s annual event.

  • Costume contests for people and pets start at 3:30 at Brackenbury Square, with prizes given for baby/toddler, child, teen and adult human categories, followed by critters (leashed or otherwise contained) at about 3:45.

  • If you’re feeling lucky/have good aim with a gourd, consider entering the Great Pumpkin Roll on Fifth Street, at $5 for one chance or $10 for three. If your attempt goes into the chute at the bottom of the hill, you’ll be entered in a drawing for a $300 cash prize.

  • Other highlights include the city of Lewiston Parks and Recreation bouncy castle in front of the YWCA at Third and Main streets, a photo booth at Brackenbury Square, a breastfeeding/diaper change area provided by Reliance Center at New Sixth and Main and performances by Just for Kix dance students 1 and 2 p.m. on the Brackenbury Square stage, according to Beautiful Downtown Lewiston board secretary Vikky Ross.

  • An event map can be downloaded at beautifuldowntownlewiston.com/pumpkin-palooza.

* Merriam-Webster: Spoopy is amusing internet slang describing cute, comical, or silly versions of typically spooky subject matter such as ghosts and skeletons.