Old Cary legends tell tales of the zombies rising to take over Chatham Street on October 25 and 26. The Herb C. Young Community Center becomes invested with ghouls, and glowing Jack o’ Lanterns grin in Downtown Park.
This weekend, the walking dead take over Downtown Cary as Zombiepalooza returns to The Cary Theater! Wear your best zombie costume (or dress as your favorite zombie survival hero!) for a thrilling costume contest. They’ll be giving out free Twinkies so you can eat like a Zombieland survivor, while you watch a film festival featuring the area’s best local zombie shorts!
Feeling brave? Go face the ghoul infestation at Herb C. Young Community Center! This spooky haunted house is created by Cary’s Teen Council, and it’s a Cary family tradition!
On Saturday, kids will love the Great Pumpkin Carve in Downtown Park! A magical pumpkin patch has grown there overnight, so come decorate it for the community display and try to win one of the top prizes! Afterwards, grab a picnic and enjoy watching “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” in the lawn!
Don’t miss the Halloween scares and sweets or tricks and treats in Downtown Cary this weekend!
Wednesday, October 23
- Candle Making Workshop at Pharmacy Bottle + Beverage, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Enjoy an evening of candle-making and craft beers! Oxford Green Candle Company will teach you how to pour two of your own candles, then add unique scents to personalize and take home! Pharmacy is offering one complimentary drink with purchase of a ticket to the workshop!
- Pints & Pumpkins at Bond Brothers Beer Company, 7-9 p.m. Come enjoy some Autumn craft brews and carve your best pumpkin for our Pumpkin Carving Contest! A $20 ticket includes one pumpkin, basic carving tools, and one complimentary drink. Guests are welcome to bring additional tools, props and decorations. With prizes like gift cards from Whole Foods, Bond Brothers, Whiskey Kitchen, and more, it’s sure to be a spook-tacular event!
Friday, October 25
- Herbert’s Haunted House at Herb C. Young Community Center, 7-9 p.m. Are you ready to get scared? Celebrate a traditional Downtown Cary Halloween at the 6th Annual Herbert’s Haunted House, featuring scares, thrills, and screams! Cary Teen Council creates this House of Horrors each year, and it keeps getting better and better! All ages welcome; parental discretion advised. Cost: $3.00
- Zombiepalooza at The Cary Theater, 7 p.m. Bring the kids for a family-friendly FREE night of zombie cinema and costumes! Dress as your favorite horror character or zombie action hero to take part in our costume contest! We’ve got Twinkies for everyone, in honor of Zombieland: Double Tap’s release. Our screening of the 2019 Zombiepalooza short films will be followed by The Dead Don’t Die. Cost: FREE
- Final Friday in Downtown Cary, 6 p.m. The streets of Downtown will be filled with zombies, horror movies, food trucks, Halloween parties, artists, candy, Twinkies, and more. Join the spooky fun as Downtown Cary’s Final Friday celebrates Halloween!
- Final Friday Halloween Party at Chatham Street Wine Market, 6-9 p.m. Don’t miss Chatham Street Wine Market on Final Friday. They’ll have Cousins Maine Lobster, wine specials, and of course candy (for kids of all ages!) Their neighbors at The Douglas Realty Group will be decorating pumpkins and showing family-friendly halloween movies on their outdoor screen.
- Drum Circle and Fire Spinning at Downtown Park, 7-8:30 p.m. Stop by the drum circle and join the rhythm during your art walk! Bring your instrument or borrow ours! Kid-friendly fun and dancing; fire spinning performance at 8 p.m. Free!
Saturday, October 26
- Cary’s Great Pumpkin Carve at Downtown Park, 2-8 p.m. Stop by the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin and carve it at one of our stations, or bring your own! Pumpkins can be lit for display and submitted for “Cary’s Favorite Pumpkin.” Stay for family-friendly Halloween specials shown outdoors, including “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!” Pumpkins for sale; all other activities are free.
- Downtown Cary Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m.-noon. Enjoy fresh seasonal produce from local farmers, bluegrass music on the front porch of the Ivey-Ellington house, and tables from local vendors. Kids can enjoy the kid’s table with activities, and well-behaved dogs are welcome!
Sunday, October 27
- Yoga and Beer at Bond Brothers Beer Company – 11 a.m. – noon. Join Yoga Mojo for a Halloween-inspired flow session. Afterwards, enjoy lunch from our rotation of visiting local food trucks, and have a drink! Suggested donation:: $5, does not include drinks or food.
Tuesday, October 29
- Run Club at Bond Brothers Beer Company – 6:30 p.m. Cheers to your health! Take a run around the beautiful streets of Downtown Cary, then celebrate with craft beer!
- Luck of the Draw Dart Night at Jordan Lake Brewing Company – 7 p.m. Make friends over a game of darts and a glass of craft beer.
Downtown Cary’s Halloween Legends & Traditions
For years, Cary’s community has worked together to put together an eclectic and eerie mix of Halloween events, offering a spooky taste of the culture and soul of our downtown artists, filmmakers, businesses, parks, and individuals. These Halloween events aren’t JUST fun — they’re part of a tradition that we are all creating together!
Herbert’s Haunted House is a thrilling tradition, put on each year by our Cary Teen Council. These teens do their best work to put on this family-favorite, which has become an annual custom for many families!
The Zombiepalooza draws hundreds of undead from their graves–to gorge on popcorn and twinkies, while watching the chilling short films made by local artists. This annual event strengthens the art community, while providing a unique custom for Cary culture.
The Pumpkin-Apple Bread at Once in a Blue Moon Bakery has fed 30-years worth of Cary citizens, holding true to its original recipe for more than a generation. Now, parents or even grandparents are returning to allow their children to experience the nostalgic flavor.
We also have customary stories, like the legend of the Phantom Horse of Downtown Cary — an eerie tale that has been passed down since the 1800’s. This piece of Cary folklore is an oral tradition that keeps us connected to our place in history, and it’s a ghostly Halloween favorite, regaled each year as part of the Ghost Walk in Downtown Cary.
By taking part in these annual customs, we grow into a vibrant and connected community, rich with culture, history, and spooky Halloween memories.