Spooky time: St George Halloween events

If you are looking for ways to keep your and your family busy this fall, look no further than the many St George Halloween events available in the area.

Whether you’re looking to be scared or simply entertained, there really is something for everyone to enjoy.

Scarecrow Walk

Scarecrow Walk
Scarecrow Walk is one St George Halloween events

For the second year in a row, this St George Halloween events is back, taking place 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17. The event is hosted by the Washington County Water Conservancy District. Bring the family along for a free walk through dozens of scarecrow displays and spooky, haunted areas. The displays are provided by a variety of local organizations. Join the fun at Red Hills Desert Garden, 375 N. Red Hills Parkway, St. George, Utah.

Free comic book day

While not specifically related to St George Halloween events, you can definitely see the connection between costumed comic book characters and the big dress-up day. Hosted by the Washington County Library and Comics Plus. Get a free special Halloween comic book on 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21, at Comics Plus, 348 W. St. George Blvd., St. George, Utah. Plus you can enjoy a full day of gaming. And if you like, feel free to dress up in your favorite super hero, sci-fi, fantasy or anime costume.

Fall Festival and Pumpkin Alley

When it comes to festive fun, this St George Halloween event has a little bit of everything. Part of an annual celebration at Tonaquint Nature Center, the whole family can get involved for just $1 per craft and 25 cents for a bag of popcorn. All other events are free.

St George Halloween events
Carve your pumpkin and enter to win a prize.

Kids can get involved in a variety of carnival style games, get their faces painted and enter a carved or decorated pumpkin into a contest. Prizes will be given to the best two decorators in each age category. Come in costume and revel in the fall fun!

St. George Art Museum

While it is always a great place to see excellent collections of fine art, the St. George Art Museum has some extra fun up its sleeve for St George Halloween events. This year you can join fellow artists and non-artists alike to carve your pumpkin at the St. George Art Museum at 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. The jack-o-lanterns will then be auctioned off to raise money for the permanent art collection at the St. George Art Museum.

In addition to pumpkin carving, St. George Art Museum is hosting one other St George Halloween events: The Boo Ball. Come celebrate Halloween and 20 years of the St. George Art Museum 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the St. George Art Museum, 47 E. 200 North, St. George, Utah.

Jekyll and Hyde

"Jekyll and Hyde" the musical
“Jekyll and Hyde” presented by The Stage Door.

Telling the story of one of the most classic tales of right vs. wrong, of day vs. night, The Stage Door presents “Jekyll and Hyde” through Oct. 21 at The Electric Theater.

How far will one man go to save his own father? And to prove he is right? Carefully spun together with beautiful music by Frank Wildhorne and book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, this is the perfect play to add to your list of St George Halloween events.

The Stage Door presents this event. Tickets are $18-$21. Log onto http://www.thestagedoortheater.com/ for more information.

Opera in Kayenta

Get ready for a little Magic, Mystery and Macabre in the St. George Opera House. From 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 30, you can enjoy a night of singing, dancing, magic tricks and treats. The event is put on by the St. George Opera and Young Friends of Opera. The groups will put on two performances including music from “Harry Potter,” “Cinderella,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “The Secret Garden,” “Carmen,” “Hansel and Gretel” and more.

Come early for trick-or-treating before the concert from 4-7 p.m. in the Art Village at Kayenta. Then, enjoy the music. Coyote Gulch Art Village is located at 681 Coyote Gulch Ct., Kayenta.

‘Thriller” at Tuacahn

Once again the monsters of Halloween are taking over the state Tuacahn. This St. George Halloween events has become a regular part of the fall fabric in Southern Utah. Presented by Odyssey Dance Theatre, professional dancers don costumes for Frankenstein and his bride, mummies, skeletons and more. Some of the classic favorites include “Jason Jam” where three “Jasons” from “Friday the 13th” are all showing off their Jason skills. Soon, however, it becomes clear that one of them didn’t actually graduate from Jason School.

Jason from "Thriller"
“Thriller” is a popular part of St George Halloween events.

It’s this kind of tongue-in-cheek humor that director Derryl Yeager loves to share with the audience. In his experience, this humor, combined with the spooky spin on a traditional dance concert, is the reason people keep coming back to see “Thriller” year after year.

“Other dance shows tend to be heavy laden, with dancers working out their artistic demons on stage,” Yeager says.

Thriller, on the other hand, features actual demons — like a sniper who is bent on systematically removing dancers one by one in the River of Blood Dance.

With more than 10 years on the Tuacahn stage and more than 20 years since its inception, Odyssey Dance Theatre now presents more than 56 performances throughout the state each year, including seven shows in five days at Tuacahn Oct. 26-31. Tickets start at $21. For more information log onto www.tuacahn.org or call 435-652-3300.

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