Halloween time is upon us, and there are many exciting things going on in Hattiesburg. You may ask what a fellow Hattiesburger can do to have a “spooktacular” Halloween. There are plenty of Halloween events planned on campus and throughout the Hattiesburg area that can make this Halloween the best you have ever had.
To start off your festivities, you will need a pumpkin so that you can enter USM’s Association of Office Professional’s pumpkin carving contest. The deadline to enter is Oct. 20 at 5 p.m.,and the winners of the contest will receive two tickets to the Oct. 24, 7 p.m. showing of “Phantom of the Opera.” To enter your pumpkin into the contest and find further details, you can go to AOP’s webpage on The University of Southern Mississippi’s website.
Next on your Halloween bucket list, get ready to reminisce and bring in the season with “Halloweentown” at the Saenger Theatre on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. The ticket is $5, and if “Halloweentown” doesn’t spark your interest, there will also be a showing of the “Rocky Horror Picture Show” on Oct. 27 for $10. After your exciting cinematic experience, you can head over to the Hattiesburg Zoo for its annual “ZooBoo.” The 20th annual ZooBoo will be held Oct. 25-30 from 5:30- 8 p.m. and will feature exciting Halloween activities throughout the zoo. Guest are encouraged to wear costumes. The tickets are $10.
USM psychology major Shelby Caffarel expressed her excitement about the Saenger Theatre movie showings.
“Halloweentown is my favorite movie to watch to get into the Halloween spirit,” Caffarel said. “I normally have to watch Halloweentown on a small TV in my living room. Now, I get the immersive experience of watching it in a theatre.”
If you want to get a head start on working off your freshman 15 or Halloween candy binge, go to the Department of Recreational Sports’ Zombie Fun Run on Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. The one mile run will be held in the Payne Center parking lot, and the run is free for USM students with student IDs. There will also be prizes awarded to participants with the best costumes, so make sure to come dressed for the season.
On Oct. 27 from 4-7 p.m., The USM chapter of Roots and Shoots and the Department of Biological Sciences will be hosting an event in the Johnson Science Tower. This event will be free to the public. If you are still looking for more Halloween excitement that day, head on over to Hattiesburg’s African American Military History museum for their annual Booseum event. The event will be from 6-8 p.m. and costs $2.
To cap off your Halloween bucket list, get ready for a bloodcurdling historic tour of Downtown Hattiesburg. On Halloween night, Downtown Hattiesburg will be hosting the inaugural “Dearly Departed Walking Tour.”
According to WDAM News: “Tours will depart from the Saenger Theater in downtown Hattiesburg every 30 minutes beginning at 6 p.m., with the last tour leaving at 9 p.m. The guided walking tours will highlight various locations in central downtown, ending at the Porter Pub, where tour takers will board the Hattiesburg Trolley to Oak Lawn Cemetery. Tours will last approximately 55 minutes and will include two snacks and two beverages, which are included in the $25 ticket price.”
Elementary education major Kristen Holmes said she loves the Halloween season and expressed her interest in attending some of Hattiesburg’s Halloween events.
“Last year I didn’t realize there were so many events in the Hattiesburg area,” Holmes said. “Now that I know what’s out there, I plan on trying to really take advantage of all the events.”
Regardless of your budget and age, the Hattiesburg community has something for everyone.
