Let’s be honest: the scariest thing most of us have seen this October is the laundry pile that’s become sentient in the corner of the bedroom. Or maybe it’s the moment you realize the costume your kid “definitely” wanted two weeks ago is now “so babyish.”

Good news! This week you can trade the everyday horrors for the fun kind of spooky, and it won’t cost you a dime.

The Haunted Walk Through the Woods Is Back!

The Elkhart Environmental Center is bringing back its 7th annual Haunted Walk Through the Woods, and this year it runs three nights in a row.

This thing has gotten BIG. Around 2,500 people came out last year to wander the decorated trails, listen to live music and snack their way through the vendor booths. Everything people loved is coming back.

When to Go: Your Three-Night Game Plan

Here’s the schedule so you can plug it into the family calendar right now (go ahead, we’ll wait):

• Thursday, October 22 – Kids Night: 5 PM – 8 PM
• Friday, October 23 – Full Event: 5 PM – 9 PM
• Saturday, October 24 – Full Event: 5 PM – 9 PM

Thursday Is All About the Little Ghouls

If you’ve got younger kids, Thursday night is your night. The whole trail is decorated to be family-friendly, so nobody ends up sleeping in your bed for the next three weeks.

The highlight? A costume parade on the main stage at 6:30 PM. Kids of all ages are invited to dress up and strut their stuff. Finally, a chance to get your money’s worth out of that costume!

Friday & Saturday: Pick Your Scare Level

The weekend nights offer two trail options:

• A family-friendly decorated trail for the whole crew
• A scarier trail for braver visitors (looking at you, tweens who swear nothing scares them)

Translation: date night opportunity. Send the kids down the easy trail with Grandma while you and your partner find out who screams louder.

Food, Music & Shopping (Because Of Course)

You can’t do a spooky stroll on an empty stomach. Fan favorite That Homegrown Halloween Show is playing all three nights, so you’ll have a fun soundtrack for your walk.

On the snack front, you’ll find treats from:

• Phabulous Phoenix Rolling Diner
• Papa’s Mini Dippin’ Donuts
• Spooky Soda Society
• And more!

There are also artisan vendor booths to browse, so you might just knock out an early holiday gift or two. Multitasking queen! For the full lineup of food and artisan vendors, check out the Haunted Walk Through the Woods event page from the City of Elkhart.

Wait… It’s Really FREE?

Yep! The Haunted Walk Through the Woods is completely free and open to the public. A whole family outing with zero admission cost? That’s the real Halloween treat.

Donations are appreciated, though, and they go directly toward growing the event for next year. So if you have a few bucks in your pocket, toss them in the bucket and help keep the tradition going.

Want to Help Out? (Yes, You Can Be a Scarer!)

Ever wanted to jump out of the bushes and scare strangers with full permission? Here’s your chance.

The EEC is looking for volunteers to:

• Help decorate the trails
• Assist with parking
• Scare visitors (honestly, the best gig of the bunch)

You can sign up to volunteer for the Haunted Walk online or email the Elkhart Environmental Center staff directly.

Local businesses and organizations, this one’s for you too: you can adopt a section of the trail to decorate and sponsor. It’s a fun way to show some community love (and some creepy creativity).

Questions?

Reach out to the EEC staff at EECmail@cityofelkhartin.gov or give them a call at 574-293-5070.

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Your Turn! 🎃

Be honest: are you a “family-friendly trail” person or a “bring on the scary trail” person? And what’s your kid dressing up as this year? Tell us in the comments on our Facebook and Instagram. We want to see those costume pics!