🧛 Screams, scares, and spooky affairs | Things to do

Ghouls, ghosts, goblins, and other monsters have arrived in Philadelphia, ready for a weekend of Halloween-themed activities and spooky strolls through the city.

It’s time to embrace the season of costume parties, haunted houses, horror movie marathons, and Halloween-themed pop-ups. Lucky for you, we’ve got you covered on all fronts, plus a treat for East Passyunk festival-dwellers, and derby racing fans.

Enjoy.

— Earl Hopkins (@earlhopkins_, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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The Wanamaker Building is transforming into a spooky film theater this week for Pipe Up!, a pop-up series of 1920s silent horror films — all accompanied by live music on a pristine 1929 Wurlitzer organ. Curated by former Inquirer critic Carrie Rickey, the lineup includes eerie masterpieces like Nosferatu, Faust, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and more.

Each night features a different organist improvising along to the film in the building’s Greek Hall, offering an experience straight out of cinema’s earliest days. Screenings begin at 7 p.m. and are free with advance registration at operaphila.org

🛥️ Scares at the Seaport: Celebrate the spookiest time of the year at the Independence Seaport Museum, where family-friendly crafts, activities, and candy will be on full display on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

🎃 Pumpkins at East Passyunk: Bring the family out for pumpkin carving, live music, and tasty hidden treats stashed inside nearby businesses at East Passyunk Fall Fest on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

👻 Spooks at the local zoo: Philadelphia Zoo’s beloved seasonal Halloween event wraps up on Sunday. Stop by for costumes, parades by Bird Lake, and animals munching on pumpkins. Don’t miss the $5 “trick-or-tree” dance party and sweet treats throughout the park for ages 1-9.

🏎️ Derby Racing: Start your marks. Kensington Derby & Arts Festival brings the homemade, human-powered vehicles parade back to the neighborhood, and straight into a giant mud pit.

🌊 Waterfront Fun: Cherry Street Pier will be the site of the hands-on Halloween party, “PopUpPlay,” where kids can make giant cardboard monsters, go skull-hunting, and explore a miniature Halloween village

📅 My calendar picks this week: Day of the Dead at the Magic Gardens Studio, Tricks & Treats, Philadelphia Film Festival

Want to take your Halloween endeavors on the road? Take a driving distance getaway for some twisting corn mazes, high-tech haunts, and other activities in New York’s Hudson Valley.

The two and a half hour drive from Philly leads travelers to the setting of Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The two blends colonial history, Halloween pageantry, and a distinctive flair for the supernatural.

🎃 Pick your patch: From Bucks to Lancaster County, farms near Philly are serving up peak fall fun — pumpkin picking, hayrides, corn mazes, cider doughnuts, and more. Find one near you.

🍲 Celebrating Filipino heritage: Celebrate Filipino American History Month on the waterfront at Cherry Street Pier on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The entertainment space will be filled with live music, dancing, handmade goods, and a savory lineup of traditional dishes.

💀 Ready to scream? Haunted prisons, zombie farms, cursed mills, and a murder-filled motel — the Philly area has no shortage of Halloween haunts. From Eastern State Penitentiary’s Halloween Nights to the infamous Bates Motel and Pennhurst Asylum, these nine terrifying attractions are guaranteed to get your heart racing. See the full list.

🌻 Sunflower Days continue: Sunflower Days continue at Hellerick’s Farm in Doylestown, which blooms with 25 varieties of sunflowers. Plus, you can pick your own raspberries and blackberries, too, at its lush pastures. There are also farm activities like goat petting, mini golf, silo climbing wall, and more for all ages through Nov. 1.

🍂 FallFest in full swing: FallFest at Shady Brook Farm in Yardley continues through Oct. 30. There will be pumpkins and apples galore, plus sunflowers, zinnias, and a Sesame Street-themed corn maze. So, don’t be a groach. Stop by for a bonfire, light shows, and live music all weekend.

🕸️ Spooky, not scary: Philly’s packed with kid-friendly Halloween fun this month — from Boo at the Zoo and pumpkin science at the Franklin Institute to trick-or-treat parades in Chestnut Hill and East Passyunk. Costumes encouraged, jump scares optional.

Can you move your neighbor’s cones when they “save” a public parking spot? In this Very Philly Question, editors Evan Weiss, Sam Ruland, and Tommy Rowan tackle one of the city’s most sacred block-by-block debates.

Spoiler: Cone savers get no love. “You don’t own the street — it’s public parking!” says Sam. Tommy allows a brief snow-day exception, but otherwise, “Cones are getting tossed.” The crew admits there’s a mix of adrenaline and fear in the act — “You move it like it’s a lit bomb,” Sam says — but agree the neighborhood’s quietly rooting for you.

If the cone owner catches you? Smile, wave, and say, “Thanks for saving it for me!” — or just hit ’em with a confident “Go Birds.” What do you think?

Pop music critic Dan DeLuca lists the top concerts this weekend:

🎤 Thursday: Billie Eilish returns to town for her “Happier Than Ever – The World Tour,“ which initially drew her to Philly in October 2024. Last time she played at Wells Fargo Center, but now it’s the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

🎸 Friday: Off the heels of her highly anticipated album A Matter of Time, the Grammy-winning jazz-pop artist Laufey is coming to Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday. She will be joined by English singer Suki Waterhouse.

🎸 Saturday: After a decade-long break from music, The Autumn Defense have picked up the momentum following the release of the band’s sixth album, Here and Nowhere. The band is bringing its breezy and harmonious take on folk-rock to Ardmore Music Hall on Saturday.

🎤 Sunday: Magdalena Bay will take fans on a mind-bending journey of pop music for the duo’s “Imaginal Mystery Tour” stop at the Fillmore Philadelphia on Sunday.

If you’re like me, you’re still figuring out your Halloween plans as you go. But I hope this week’s newsletter got some things in order and offered a few surprising treats along the way.

See you soon and thanks for reading!

- Earl