With hectic schedules and Halloween less than a week away, Phoenicians have a lot of events to cover in a very limited amount of time. Just around the Valley, there are over 20 haunted houses, about nine pumpkin patches and countless Halloween Eve celebrations, all claiming to be the best in Arizona. So how can you distinguish the best from the busts? We’ve got you covered with a list of musts before the big day.
Best haunted house: The Nest
This isn’t one of those cheap, cheesy haunted houses from your childhood. The Nest is a nationally noted, heart-pounding, gut-wrenching thrill that all started with the legend of Arizona’s own Jacob Kell—who began a violent rampage, racking up 35 murders before he himself was killed, the website claims.
The pavilion is over 55,000 square feet where attendees can travel through attractions like Nightmare on Rawhide’s Main Street, Turmoil 3D, Bleak and The Nest itself, where Kell was resurrected to continue his killing spree.
You’re definitely going to want to leave the lights on after this one; that is, if you survive.
Tickets will run you $25 for general admission, and special VIP passes are $35. Go online before heading out, the website often posts coupons or deals—buying a VIP pass online will save you about $5 compared to the door price.
Best all-in-one: Tolmachoff Farms
During the Halloween season, Tolmachoff Farms is as extreme as night and day. During the week there’s Pumpkin Days, a family friendly event that runs from Oct. 1 to Nov. 21. Guests can enjoy the farm’s pumpkin patch, a six-acre scarecrow-themed maze, a mini-maze for youngsters, petting zoo, hay pyramid, bounce house (on the weekends) and train rides (only on weekdays).
Pumpkin Days tickets are only $7, but the train ride will cost you an extra $2.
On weekends, Tolmachoff Farms transforms into the Field of Screams—a rip-roaring evil twin of the weekday event. With a haunted corn maze (planted over an old cemetery) that the faint of heart dare not enter.
This one really does prove to be the evil twin because ticket prices jump up to $15 (or $18 for both the Field of Screams, and its PG-rated sibling, Pumpkin Days).
Best family attractions: Halloween Monster Bash and Balloon Illumination
For those who want to skip the scariness, the Halloween Monster Bash and Balloon Illumination on Oct. 30 is the perfect way to celebrate, and still be able to sleep through the night.
The event offers a costume contest, parade, trick-or-treating, bounce houses, carnival games, crafts, puppet shows, a fright zone and live entertainment.
Admission is free as long as you bring canned goods to donate to the St. Mary’s/Westside Food Bank Alliance—a total win-win.
Best concert: “Hocus Pocus Pops”
Symphony-lovers looking for some good Halloween music will love when Phoenix’s finest orchestral musicians channel their inner mischief. From Oct. 29 to Oct. 31 the Phoenix Symphony will resurrect ghoulish favorites like the music from “Psycho,” “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and “The Addams Family Fantasy” blended with newer, dark works.
Tickets span a wide gap: $18 at the low end, going up to $82 per seat.
Best unusual Halloween: Trick or Treat at 31-feet
If the old party scene just isn’t your thing this Halloween, check out Trick or Treat at 31-feet at AZ On the Rocks on Oct 30. The indoor climbing gym gets festive with its Halloween Night Climb, allowing climbers to scale a 31-foot rock wall sans the lighting.
Scattered along the wall will be candy and prizes for those brave enough take on the dark.
Last-minute registration is $35, but totally worth the price tag—especially when they toss in a 110-foot zip-line in the dark.
Best event worth the drive: The Great Pumpkin Smash at Cave Creek Coffee Company
Halloween is all about being a kid again. What better way to get back to yester-year than to have a good old-fashioned pumpkin toss?
The Cave Creek Coffee Company’s Great Pumpkin Smash is a day-long event that offers pumpkin-painting workshops for the kiddies in the morning and a pumpkin-judging contest at 11 a.m.
When the sun sets, however, local wine will flow just in time to gear up for the adults-only costume contest where category winners can earn up to $1,000 in prizes. A night of good music and good drinks all lead up to the pumpkin-throwing contest as the perfect way to channel some of that workweek stress.
The event begins on Oct. 30 at 8 a.m. and runs all night. The best part is there’s no cover.
Contact the reporter at leeann.disanti@asu.edu
