The air is crisp and chilly, houses are decorated with cobwebs, and the thrill of the spookiest  season of the year is in the air! Halloween is just a few days away, and with such comes the ever-lasting question: What is there to do to celebrate? 

Many in Santa Clarita are familiar with Magic Mountain’s “Fright Fest”, which typically takes place every year throughout October, but there are also many fun activities in the community to take part in! 

Castaic Lake had its first “Haunter Hike” this last weekend, and I got to see the action for myself. I volunteered, and I highly suggest any highschooler take part in the coming years. It was a horrifyingly fantastic blast – volunteers were dressed up and littered around the course by the lower-lake, tasked with scaring hikers as they passed through in the darkness. 

Julia Womersley-Jackman, a Senior at Castaic, also volunteered at the Haunted Hike. She was a scare-actor, and said “it was hilarious to see their reactions” when she scared hikers. In her opinion, the scariest attraction was the clown maze, stating “everyone was banging on the walls and sneaking up on us. It was really scary!”

To say the least, it was a great experience, and with it being a new event in the community, it needs traction and more willing volunteers in the years to come, so stay tuned during next October to support and potentially help out.

Before the Haunted Hike last weekend, Castaic lake also hosted a “Halloween Spooktacular.” At the event, attendants played games, had photo ops, could get their faces painted, had a costume contest, and even had a spooky candy trail! The event is annual, and takes place every October at Castaic’s lower lake. This event, unlike the Haunted Hike, is geared more towards children and families, but is still a great way to get into the festive spirit!

Beyond Castaic, Fright Fest is also continuing throughout Halloween. Filled with scare-actors, mazes, and spooky ambience, Fright Fest at Magic Mountain is a great place to help meet your scare quota for this Halloween season. Starting at 7pm nightly until October 31st, people attending the park will be met with actors in scare zones, lurking in the shadows, as well as haunted mazes and rides in the dark. 

This annual, terrifying transformation of Magic Mountain is a tradition for many SCV residents. One of these residents, and a parent of a Castaic student, Andrea Dorman, is an avid Fright Fest enthusiast. “Fright Fest is pretty scary. The lines are super long, but the wait is worth it. The mazes are well done and I always look forward to the new ones,” Dorman expresses.

Along with Fright Fest and events the Castaic Lake put on this year, there are many more exciting activities in Santa Clarita and Los Angeles. The “Finish the Ride and Finish the Run” is another annual event that takes place at Heritage Park on Newhall Ranch Road, which is a run participants take part in while wearing their costumes. There is one on October 30th at 7am, and another on October 31st at 6 am. 

This spooky Halloween season is almost over, so don’t miss out on opportunities to celebrate and support the community!