Don't Miss These Halloween Haunts In Gaithersburg

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Halloween is nearly a month away, but it's never too early to begin planning your spooky festivities. The City of Gaithersburg is celebrating the holiday all month long with programs and activities guaranteed to send chills down your spine. Ghost stories and candlelit tours, scary films and a murder mystery as well as family-friendly ghoulish activities are among the haunted offerings.

Here is the full lineup of can’t-miss Halloween-themed events coming up in Gaithersburg:

Halloween Film & Brew Party: Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein

• Friday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m. Film starts at 7:30 p.m.
• Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road
• Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with Mel Brooks’ comedic spoof starring Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, a medical lecturer who inherits his grandfather's estate in Transylvania. Complications ensue when Dr. Frankenstein recreates his grandfather's experiments and creates his own monster. Come dressed for the costume party and enjoy refreshments in the Arts Barn Pub at 6 p.m. Count Gore de Vol, well-known host of Creature Feature and WDCA’s Captain 20, will kick off the screening with a pre-film, Gaithersburg-centric video message. Cash bar available, photo ID required. Tickets are $5 in advance, $8 at the door. Purchase tickets online here.
• Call 301-258-6394 or visit www.facebook.com/ArtsontheGreen for more information.

Art Night Out: Frankenstein 200th Anniversary Writing Workshop – Creating Ghost Stories & Tall Tales

• Friday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m.
• Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road
• Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein in 1818 as the result of competition amongst her husband and friends to see who could write the best horror story. Now it’s your turn. Learn the basic elements of a tall tale or ghost story and draft one while sharing ideas with others. All experience levels are welcome. Come one hour early to participate in a costume party and enjoy refreshments in the Arts Barn Pub. Registration is $40, $35 for City of Gaithersburg residents, and includes one glass of wine, one beer or unlimited refills on soft drinks along with a selection of treats. Additional wine and beer will be available for purchase. A photo ID is required to consume alcohol. This program is appropriate for ages 18 and older. Receive a $5 discount for each registration when you sign up with a friend. Register online here.
• Call 301-258-6394 or visit www.facebook.com/ArtsontheGreen for more information.

Ghosts of Gaithersburg: Candlelit Ghost Tours

• Friday, Oct. 26, 6 – 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 27, 6 – 7:30 p.m.
• (Reserved tours leave every 15 minutes)
• Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road
• Drawing from true historical accounts and documented experiences of the paranormal, this ½ -mile tour begins in the Arts Barn lobby and explores the Kentlands Estate. Dating back to a land grant that predates the Revolutionary War, the land that is now home to the quaint neighborhoods of the Kentlands and Lakelands overflows with hair-raising historical tales. From macabre medicine to an ominous empty crypt, a corrupt astrologer to mystical Native American healing rituals, discover the stories behind the street signs while listening to stories of the inhabitants whose spirits may still linger. Admission is $12. Purchase tickets online here.

Halloween Film & Brew Party: Nosferatu with Live Musical Accompaniment by Andrew E. Simpson and Introduction by Arch Campbell

• Friday, Oct. 26, 6 p.m. Beer Tasting, Film starts at 7:30 p.m.
• Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road
• A Halloween tradition, this 1922 silent adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula is regarded as one of the most terrifying horror films of all time. Enjoy live piano accompaniment by one of America’s foremost silent film musicians, Andrew E. Simpson, as the Transylvanian Count Orlok lures a young real estate agent to his eerie castle high atop the Carpathian Mountains. A special film introduction will be made by Arch Campbell. Advance purchase is $5 for film only, $10 for film and beer tasting. Tickets purchased at the door are $8 for film only, $12 for film and beer tasting. Beer tasting includes samples and one full pour. A photo ID is required to purchase alcohol. Purchase tickets online here.

Murder at the Mansion: Last Call at Chez Mort

• Friday & Saturday, Oct. 26 & 27 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m.
• Kentlands Mansion, 320 Kent Square Road
• Arts on the Green and A Taste for Murder Productions present the interactive murder mystery, “Last Call at Chez Mort,” by Lee Miller, the latest installment of the Murder at the Mansion Dessert Theater series. A Night Club in the 1920s is the scene of a bizarre death – possibly an accident or more likely a murder. Inspector Constantine could pin it on anyone of these mugs: the gangster, the show girl, the French guy, or the Russian with the hatchet. Constantine relates the story of the case to a news reporter – the facts are a bit shaky and the details are hard to recall, but someone was arrested. Guests are encouraged to dress in 1920s attire for a chance to win a prize. Tickets are $35 per person, $60 per couple, and include a dessert buffet and non-alcoholic beverages. Cash bar available, photo ID required. This event is appropriate for ages 15 and older. Purchase tickets online here.

Tasty Books: Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli

• Saturday, Oct. 27, 10:30 a.m. - noon
• Casey Community Center, 810 South Frederick Avenue
• Young booklovers enter the tasty world of food-themed books using all five senses. Stories come to life with creative crafting and make-your-own snacks. All supplies are included. Activities are suitable for ages 2 to 8. Adult supervision is required. Admission is $5 per person. Register online here.
• Call 301-258-6366 or visit www.facebook.com/caseycommunitycenter for more information.

Ghosts of Gaithersburg: Haunted Happy Hour

• Saturday, Oct. 27, 7 – 9 p.m.
• Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road
• Enjoy a beverage while Karen Lottes, author of In Search of Maryland Ghosts: Montgomery County, recreates some of the mind-tingling stories of the most haunted places in Montgomery County, such as the Headless Horseman of Game Preserve Road and the Gaithersburg farmer who keeps searching for his buried treasure. Bring your scariest story for a chance to frighten your friends. Admission is $5 in advance, $8 at the door. Cash bar available, photo ID required. Purchase tickets online here.

Boo! at the Barn

• Sunday, Oct. 28, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
• Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Road
• Just in time for Halloween! ! In partnership with Echoes of Nature, Arts on the Green brings back the very popular Boo! at the Barn, a children’s program full of ghoulish fun featuring themed art activities, games, a costume parade, trick-or-treating, live animal ambassadors, photo opportunities, and more. Costumes are not required but encouraged for all. Admission is free. This family event is recommended for young children. Performances of Jack & the Beanstalk take place at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (tickets required).

Discovery Day: FrankenSTEM

• Sunday, Oct. 28, 1 – 4 p.m.
• Community Museum, 9 South Summit Avenue
• Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein with the mad scientist experience - an afternoon of monsters, chemistry and electricity. This program was developed by the University of Arizona with support from the National Science Foundation and the NISE Network. Admission is free, donations gratefully accepted.
• Call 301-258-6160 or visit www.facebook.com/GaithersburgCommunityMuseum for more information.

For more information, visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov.

Image via Renee Schiavone, Patch staff