Someone — or Some Thing — Is Knocking

Halloween’a approaching. Kids are trying on costumes. And adults are getting into the act, too. The Minions are probably going to sell out, as will characters from “Toy Story” and “The Mandalorian.” Elphaba and Glinda the Good Witch from “The Wizard of Oz” are also very popular.

Think you’ll see few characters from “The Odyssey”? Perhaps someone will be courageous enough to be Polyphemus, the Cyclops who was blinded by Odysseus. Now that’s scary!

Homes are dressing up as well with spider webs, bats, skeletons, ghosts. Not to mention spooky sounds. Still, you can choose to decorate with colorful pumpkins. So many ways to celebrate.

Pumpkins & Jack-O-Lanterns

Great Pumpkin Carve (Oct. 15–17)
1736 Creek Rd., Chadds Ford
ChaddsFordHistory.org
Over 70 carvers sculpt, saw and chisel giant pumpkins — some weighing up to 400 pounds — before crowds of onlookers. Back in the early 1970s, Andrew and Jamie Wyeth carved pumpkins to decorate the Chadds Ford Inn. Others joined. Today, enjoy live music, food trucks, kid-friendly haunted trails, raffles and more. $15 adult, $5 child, free under 7.

Pumpkin & Face Painting (Oct. 25 & 31)
124 Beaver Valley Rd., Chadds Ford
PennsWoodsWinery.com/HarvestCelebration
Pick and paint a pumpkin from the patch. There’ll be face painting ($10) as well as apple cider donuts and Pumpkin Spice Sangria. On the 31st, don your costume and enjoy Halloween‑themed cocktails, face painting and the hay maze. Wine tasting, beer, cider, cheese, food trucks and live music.

Great Pumpkin Play Day (date TBD)
Sykes Student Union, 110 W. Rosedale Ave., West Chester
@WCU_CSM
Share a family-friendly afternoon at West Chester University. They’ll have face painting, hair tinsel, games, kids’ tattoos, races and a basket raffle. Proceeds benefit Safe Harbor of Chester County. Check online for updates.

Hauntings

The Bates Motel, Haunted House and Corn Fields (Sept. 25–Nov. 1)
1835 N. Middletown Rd., Glen Mills
TheBatesMotel.com
Expect levitating spirits, pictures that follow you and scary evildoers. On the Scarecrow’s Haunted Trail, you’ll tour a creepy New England church, an abandoned toxic waste dump and a massive cavern filled with dinosaurs, lizards and flying demons. On a Haunted Hayride, you’ll walk through tall corn filled with monsters and villains. $40–$55.

Amstel House (Oct. weekends)
2 E. 4th St., New Castle, DE
NewCastleHistory.org
Step inside the Amstel House, where you may meet the spectral Lady in Blue looking out from the upper windows. Guides share their knowledge of Victorian funeral customs, local superstitions, and tales of crime and punishment. $8.50 adult, $4 child.

Chilling West Chester (multiple dates)
Chester County History Center, 225 N. High St., West Chester
MyCCHC.org
From the horrors of the county prison to havoc-wreaking explosions, West Chester’s streets and alleys have witnessed two centuries of crime. The educators of the History Center share these stories. Not mere ghost stories, these are true tales of terror. $20. 90 minutes. 1.25 miles.

Ghosts and Goblins

Brandywine Zoo (Oct. 16–18)
1001 N. Park Dr., Wilmington
BrandywineZoo.org
At “Boo at the Zoo,” celebrate “zoo-style.” It’s a merry — not scary — event. Wear a costume and bring your own bag for treats. Great photo ops! $8. 10 to 3 p.m.

Brandywine Creek Park’s Enchanted Meadows (Oct. 23–25)
41 Adams Dam Rd., Wilmington
DEStateParks.com/Park/Brandywine-Creek
Walk through an enchanted meadow, visit Disney characters, Pixar heroes, Harry Potter’s wizards and others. Collect treats and pose for pictures. $6. 30 minutes. 6 p.m.

Wayne Trick or Treat (Oct. 31)
WayneBusiness.com
North Wayne Ave. in downtown Wayne is transformed into a magical realm of ghosts, goblins, princesses, superheroes and whimsical characters. The Wayne Art Center will host enchanting Halloween crafts. Businesses and restaurants are handing out treats. 1 to 3 p.m.

Join a Scary Party

Candy Crawl, Parade and Monster Mash (Oct. 24)
King St. and Burke Park, Malvern
Malvern.org/1285/Parks-And-Open-Space
It’s an all-day affair in Malvern. Trick-or-treat along King St., parade toward Burke Park and party at the Monster Mash, featuring live music, games, crafts, food and face-painting. 3 to 6 p.m.

West Chester Halloween Train (Oct. 30)
230 E. Market St., West Chester
Check Eventbrite.com
Join a spirited adult costume party benefiting homeless and hospitalized veterans. Come ride the historic train, tell and listen to ghost stories, listen to music and enjoy the open bar, buffet and party. $100. 6 to 9 p.m.

Die Laughing Halloween Party (Oct. 31)
Rivet: Canteen & Assembly, 238 E. High St., Pottstown
Check Eventbrite.com
Find spooks and laughs at an eerie Halloween bash at this events space! Dress up in your wildest costume, enjoy creepy tunes, share crazy laughs. Come ready to die laughing! $12.51. 6 to 11 p.m.

Lights Out

Rockwood Park & Museum (Oct. 16, 17, 23, 24 & 30)
4651 Washington St. Extension, Wilmington
NewCastleDE.gov/431/Rockwood-Park-Museum
Take the Revisionists Gothic Walk, where restless apparitions appear. The narrator speaks with the dead, uncovers their deaths and rewrites their tragedies. On the 23rd and 30th, you can use electronic ghost-hunting gear to investigate paranormal activity across the property. $28. 90 minutes. 1.5 miles.

“Fright Night” at People’s Light (Oct. 28)
39 Conestoga Rd, Malvern
PeoplesLight.org
Monsters, mayhem and all manner of midnight mischief will run amok in the Farmhouse. Keep your eyes on the story as a crime scene unfolds while you sip your flights. Will your table follow the clues? Or will you fall for the misdirections? $45. 6 p.m.

Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics at The Media Theatre (Oct. 29)
104 E. State St., Media
MediaTheatre.org
A live string quartet performs Halloween-inspired music and movie themes under the glow of candlelight. $37. 60 minutes.

An Eerie Organ Plays

Longwood Gardens Spellbound Weekend (Oct. 23– 25)
1001 Longwood Rd., Kennett Square
LongwoodGardens.org
A unearthly good time with a 62-bell carillon, organ music, illuminated fountains and, on the weekend, the “Halloween Magic” show (8:15 p.m). 5 to 9 p.m. $38 adults, $22 youth, free for kids.

Parades

Media (Oct. 26, 11 a.m.)
The 60th annual Delco Halloween Parade on State St. in Media features the Philly Ghostbusters and the Star Wars 501st Legion, comic book characters, scouting troops, dance academies and floats. Come in costume. Expect spooky surprises.

West Chester (Oct. 28, 7 p.m.)
The parade starts at Church and Market Sts. and loops around downtown. Candy stations will be located along the route for children to collect goodie bags. Afterwards, enjoy performances from marching bands plus cheer and dance teams.

Oxford (Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m.)
The Halloween Parade starts downtown at South and 3rd Sts. and features children’s marches, costume judging with awards, floats and community participation.

Movies

Colonial Theatre (Oct. weekends)
227 Bridge St., Phoenixville
TheColonialTheatre.com
Lights out. Curtains up. Everyone quiet. Bring someone to hold for this month-long series. “Young Frankenstein” (Oct. 2),“Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell” (Oct. 3), “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (Oct. 10), “Halloween” (Oct. 23), “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (Oct. 24), “The Innocents” (Oct. 25). $15 adults, $13 seniors, $10 kids.

Uptown Knauer Performing Arts Center (Oct. 19 & 31)
226 N. High St., West Chester
UptownWestChester.org
For a charming, nostalgic classic, see “Halloweentown” (Oct. 19, $7). To examine and laugh at your worst fears, watch “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (Oct. 31, $17–$22).