Halloween Hoots and Howls

ATLANTA, October 15, 2008 - Attractions across Georgia put on their own costumes during October, offering special events and activities for visitors in the spirit of Halloween. Ghosts and ghouls, screams and scares, and, of course, candy can be found from the mountains to the coast. Families have reams of Halloween options. Get lost in a labyrinth of Georgia history and culture at The Rock Ranch's 'Explore Georgia' themed corn maze in The Rock. Go to Frightfest at Six Flags in Austell, or Phobia at Wild Adventures in Valdosta, and take advantage of family friendly amusement park adventures. Trick or treating, face painting, pumpkin carving and special shows are just some of the Halloween specials awaiting guests. Experience Statesboro's Halloween Trunk or Treat Spooktacular, at the Averitt Center for the Arts, with treats provided by downtown organizations and games, prizes, and movies for all ages. For Halloween celebrants who are a little braver, there are frights and scares galore at Georgia's creepy haunted houses. Netherworld Haunted House in Norcross, Creepers Haunted House in Smyrna, and Camp Blood Haunted House in Carrollton are just a few that will leave you in terror. Or, try tackling Horror Hill's 20 acres of haunted trails. The Newnan attraction is crawling with all types of monsters sure to scare you silly this October. Halloween always brings good cultural and arts activities. With a bit of luck you can get tickets to the fantastic fall musical Wicked, winner of 20 major awards, which broke box office records last time it was in Atlanta. It is playing at the historic Fox Theatre. Or visit the Theatre on Main in Acworth for Halloween Dreams; reviewers have raved it's a hoot. The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta has a special Halloween show for the older crowd: Ghastly Dreadfuls II: Handbook of Practical Hauntings and other Phantasmagoria. And there are even more opportunities: the Atlanta Symphony Hall is hosting A Haunted Halloween with Jere Flint, known for his colorful personas during his magical Halloween shows filled with great music, interpretive dances, and an annual vote for the 'most frightful fashion statements.' More of a movie buff? Check out the Atlanta Horror Film Festival, spread out across three different venues, featuring both full and short length films from across the world. Georgia's parks and historic sites get into the Halloween spirit as well. Go back in time to the 19th century at the 1860s Halloween Carnival at the Jefferson Davis Memorial Historic Site in Fitzgerald, with everything from dunking booths to cake walks. Take a trip to Red Top Mountain State Park for Halloween Hayrides, where professional storytellers hypnotize guests around a campfire with their spooky stories. Or enjoy Halloween at Creepy Crooked River's haunted nature center and hayrides at Crooked River State Park in St. Mary's. Greased pole climbing, apple bobbing, and pumpkin decorating rule at the Fall-O-Ween Festival at Skidaway Island State Park in Savannah. Have your pets celebrate with you at the Pet Halloween Costume Contest, with prizes for the most original, cutest and scariest costumes, at High Falls State Park in Jackson. Cemeteries are a common Halloween scene, and the Historic Oakland Cemetery has set aside three special evenings this fall for the Capturing the Spirit of Oakland Halloween Tour. Learn first-hand about Georgia's magnificent past and hear tales 'told' by some of Atlanta's early leaders. Glimpse the restless spirits of Marietta on the 'Scary-etta' Trolley Ghost Tour, or take the Tour of Southern Ghosts through the Antebellum Plantation grounds at Stone Mountain. Escape to The Great Pumpkin Caper jack-o-lantern and costume contest in Buchanan for some classic Halloween fun. Visitors to Hoschton this year will see a world record being set even as thousands of scarecrows creep across town and overrun the civilian population. Hoschton is making headlines with its Scarecrow Stampede, which has more than tripled the population of the town with more than 5,000 scarecrows, including the likenesses of the Georgia bulldogs football team, the cast of Wizard of Oz, and Elvis. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is also teeming with scarecrows. Stop by for Scarecrows in the Garden during the day, featuring more than 100 scarecrows created by local organizations, business and individuals, or drop in at night for Fest-of-Ale, featuring fine specialty beers and lively musical entertainment. Young or old, timid or bold, Georgia has Halloween experiences for everyone. Discover the latest Halloween events at www.ExploreGeorgia.org. The Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) is the state's sales and marketing arm, the lead agency for attracting new business investment, encouraging the expansion of existing industry and small businesses, locating new markets for Georgia products, attracting tourists to Georgia, and promoting the state as a location for film, video and music projects, as well as planning and mobilizing state resources for economic development.