Thank God It’s Friday: Haunted Houses, Music, and More

It’s a weird time of year in State College. 

The leaves are starting to fall off the trees.

Every few days, there’s a cold front to remind you what winter is indeed coming.

And yet in between those days, the temperature creeps up to 70 to remind you of what you’re about to lose as summer fades off into the distance. All of that can only mean one thing: Halloween is here. Well, almost here.

We’re in store for a Halloweekend, but in the mean time, there’s plenty of Halloween-esque activities ramping up in the region. If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, there’s plenty of events to enjoy in State College and the Centre region — both spooky and not so spooky.

So here’s our latest edition of Thank God It’s Friday, giving you the highlights of what’s to come over the next few days.

FRIDAY:

Bats don’t have to be scary…

While bats are often ingrained in our minds as the creepy night fliers that turn into vampires and bite people’s necks, there’s no reason to be scared of them. In fact, they’re pretty darn cool, especially considering that bats are the only mammal capable of sustained flight. 

You can take a trip to the Millbrook Marsh Nature Center tonight at 6:30 p.m. for a lesson on the unique role of bats in our ecosystem. “Help eliminate myths that generate needless fears and threaten bats and their habitats,” the nature center said. “Did you know some bats hibernate while others migrate? This program features presentations, hands-on activities, games for children, and more.”

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Get your scare on.

The Spook Haven Haunted House, billed as central Pennsylvania’s “premier haunted attraction” and located in Mill Hall, is open every Friday and Saturday of the month. Set in an abandoned school, the old janitor (fictionally) captured and killed plenty of students, leaving their spirits to roam the halls. 

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Or get your folk on.

Texas-based singer/songwriter Danny Schmidt is coming to town. Named to the Chicago Tribune’s list of the 50 Most Significant Songwriters in the Last 50 Years, Schmidt will put on a show at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County tonight starting at 7:30 p.m. 

The 45-year-old’s appearance at a church is interesting — particularly because he’s Jewish and has said that his religious beliefs “don’t fit into any traditional nomenclature.”

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SATURDAY:

Relive some military history.

The Then & NOW Military History Time Line Encampment/Bivouac, which sports a mouthful of a name, is back in town at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg.

The encampment features reenactors from the 18th to 21st centuries and is the final living history event of this season. See everything from Civil War soldiers to real members of the Pennsylvania National Guard’s 112th Infantry with 250 years of uniform styles and military history on display.

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The Fall Harvest Festival is here.

Shaver’s Creek is of course holding its annual Fall Harvest Festival this weekend, a community festival that includes pumpkin carving, face painting, live music, entertainment, activities, natural history programs, food, and more.

There’s even a Children’s Halloween Trail at the festival, and attendance is free for everything but the trail. 

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Play with some pit bulls.

Just like the aforementioned bats, pit bulls are another misunderstood member of the animal kingdom. They’re often associated with dogfighting, but unless they’re trained for those purposes, pit bulls can be some of the sweetest dog breeds out there.

You can meet several pit bulls — and enjoy plenty of baked goods and fun items — at the local Petco on Saturday at 11 a.m. The pits are “friendly with kids, dogs, and everything under the sun,” and there will be activities, vendors, and a photographer on scene. All proceeds benefit Happy Paws Happy Homes, a local rescue.

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SUNDAY:

Carnival games, pumpkin picking, and more.

The annual WPSU-TV Fall Carnival will be held on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the television station’s studios. There will be carnival games played for fun prizes, a chance to climb inside a police car or construction vehicle, pumpkin-picking, rocket races, insect microscopes, and plenty more. 

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Recognize preservationists in Centre County.

The 27th Annual Centre County Historical Society’s Historic Preservation Awards program (another mouthful) will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. The organization has been recognizing individuals and groups for work in preserving Centre County history since 1988. This year’s award recipients include:

• For Education and Advocacy – Town & Gown Magazine 
• For Preservation and Restoration – The Pennsylvania State University:The Land-Grant Frescoes
• For History and Heritage – The Pine Grove Mills Union Cemetery Board of Directors
• The Jacqueline J. Melander Award – Ron and Sue Smith

The program is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

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Stroll through town in your costume.

That’s right… the 2015 Centre Region Halloween Costume Parade is here. The parade forms on N. Burrowes St. off W. College Avenue starting at 6:30 p.m. before it begins at 7 p.m. Costume judging will take place at Memorial Field, and there will be plenty of candy to go around.

Choose from one of the following costume categories and stand with that group when the line-up begins at 6:30 p.m.:

• Halloween Tiny Tots #1 & #2 (Ages 2 & under)
• Cartoon Characters & Super Heroes
• Witches & Monsters
• Fairy Tale Characters
• Zombies & Vampires
• TV & Movie Stars
• Animals on Parade
• Sports
• Open Class
• Groups (of three or more) 

And if all that isn’t enough for you, check out our community calendar for even more weekend events.