Looking for something to do in October? Opportunities are plentiful in southeastern Mississippi.
Lucedale’s monthly Second Saturday event is October 14. It starts at 5 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. Sponsored by the Downtown Merchants Association, this month’s event will include a Halloween Costume Contest, a Pumpkin Carving Demonstration, and will spotlight the new art gallery on Mill Street.
Cemetery Tours at Griffin Cemetery and Krebs Cemetery in Jackson County are set this month. Griffin Cemetery is located at the west end of Dantzler Street in Moss Point. Its tour features the local importance of citizens buried in the cemetery and will take place on Saturday, October 14 beginning at 9 a.m. Tours start every half hour with the last tour beginning at 11:30 a.m. Krebs Cemetery is located at 4602 Fort Street, Pascagoula next door to the LaPointe-Krebs House and Museum. The Krebs tour generally follows a theme, and this year’s theme is Sports History. The event is Thursday, October 26, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. Both tours feature character portrayals and give local historical insight. Tour guides dress in period costume and take guests to presenters representing families of those buried in the cemeteries. Admission is free to both events; however, donations are welcomed.
Wild Acres, a wildlife zoo located in McHenry in southern Stone County, will host Witches and Wine on two Saturdays, October 14 and October 28. Both start at 6:30 p.m. and feature complimentary wine and an opportunity to get hands-on with exotic creatures from their wildlife zoo followed by a showing of Disney’s Halloween Classic movie, Hocus Pocus. The event features an encounter with Sammy the Sloth and a hands-on guided tour of the entire facility and its animals. Guests can feed porcupines, experience kangaroos, view ring-tailed lemurs, a black leopard, capuchin monkeys, Bengal tigers, and more. Admission is $50 per person. Charcuterie boxes are available for an additional fee. Attendees must be 21 or older.
Moss Point and Ocean Springs have hosted Witches Rides for several years. In Moss Point, the ride starts at 10 a.m. at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center on Saturday, October 28. Proceeds from entrance fees will go to the Dolly Partin Imagination Library. Adult registration fees are $10 and children ages 5-15 are $5. In Ocean Springs, the 2023 witches will fly at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 28. The fee is $50 per person and participants must be at least 18 years old. Proceeds will go to local animal welfare programs.
This year Lucedale is joining the fun with a Witches Ride in which all proceeds will benefit the Lucedale City Park Renovation Project. The ride will be Saturday, October 28, starting at 10:30 a.m. at the park. The event is free to attend for bystanders. Participants must be at least 18 years old and must register in advance. See the Facebook page titled Witches Ride of Lucedale for more information about fees and registration. Proceeds for the park will be derived from registration fees from riders and events around the park. Such events include food, contests, and raffles. All are encouraged to dress in costume; costumed children will receive goody bags. Event coordinators hope to raise $3,000 for the park.
In Greene County, just outside the city limits of Leakesville, the Wild Country Offroad Park will sponsor the Super ATV Halloween Nationals on October 26-29. Advance tickets are $75 for adults and $37.50 for ages children 5-13. At the gate, prices are $85 per adult and $42.50 per child. Also slated are the mega truck event and haunted house. This is a huge weekend with many facets for fun. Check out the website at www.wcoffroad.com for complete details about opportunities and pricing.
Gautier First United Methodist Church will host Trunk or Treat on Sunday, October 22, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. The church is located at 2805 Hwy 90, Gautier, across the highway from Belk department store.
The church invites all to explore a “sweet” walk through the biggest story ever told. Children’s Sunday School stories will be brought to life. Church members will be grilling on the green and will have popcorn, plentiful candy, sweet treats and a photo-op of Biblical proportion. The event focuses on fun for the entire family. Children are encouraged to wear their favorite costumes. Also slated is the showing of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown,” beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the front lawn. Bring lawn chairs and blankets for watching the show.
In northern Jackson County, the annual Trail of Terror is set every Saturday night in October as well as two Friday nights, October 13 and October 17. Described as a quarter mile of bone-chilling terror, the event is located at 3200 Payne Road in Hurley. Tickets start selling at 6:45 p.m. and stop selling at 11 p.m. This is a cash-only event; tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 8 and under.
Happy Fall! Happy Spooky! Happy October!
