Trade your beach blanket for a witch’s broom this October.
Dress in your best living dead threads for the annual Zombie Walk on Oct. 8, where you can join the procession as punk rock and metal music blasts along the boardwalk. After, tour the fascinating (and haunted!) museum at Paranormal Books & Curiosities, then take the Ghosts and Legends of The Downtown walking tour (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays) to learn about AP’s most infamous spirits. On Oct. 22–23, head to nearby Long Branch for the Fall Bazaar, which boasts a costume parade, workshops, photo stations, tarot readings and more.
Put Cape May’s O.G. haunted house, the Emlen Physick Estate, at the top of your Halloween to-do list, as the estate transforms into Scarecrow Alley (Oct. 1–31). There’s also a Halloween Craft & Collectibles Show (Oct. 29) and trick-or-treating (Oct. 31). Try the Magic & Mystery House Tour in the Physick House Museum to learn about the Victorians’ fascination with the unexplainable (select dates in October). Then hop aboard a trolley for the Ghosts of the Lighthouse Tour (Oct. 8) or take a Ghost Walk with psychic medium Craig McManus (Oct. 21–22).
Bring your pups to the Costume Pet Parade on Oct. 15. Head back on Oct. 22 for the Monster Bash, an all-day event with live music, a costume contest, pumpkin carving and more. Stick around the next day for shopping, activities and costumes for Witch’s Day Out. Head to Tuckerton Seaport for creek tours, ferry rides and more. Their Legends and Lore Boat Tours, which cover everything from the Jersey Devil to the shark that inspired the movie “Jaws”, will take place on select dates from Oct. 15–Nov. 6.