Justin Passick
Contributing Writer
(Joanne Williams/TCJ – The head bone’s connected to the….Charlotte Department of Public Works employees put together and placed eight large skeletons on Main Street, courtesy of the Downtown Development Authority and just in time for Shadow Season.)
Operating under the guidance of William SaintAmour of Cobalt360, Shadow Season is a “totally volunteer-driven group working to link various local seasonal events under one brand,” he said.
“I wanted to create a shared marketing effort, to make Charlotte the place to go for Halloween,” SaintAmour said, as he works toward creating a “standardized, more deliberate structure” for advertising area events throughout the year.
This October marks the third Shadow Season, featuring activities for all ages. When asked what he hopes people get from these events, SaintAmour said, “I hope they are happily frightened and come back for more.”
Shadow Season technically begins with the second annual Woofstock. Hosted at Courthouse Square on Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event features food, vendors, raffles and activities to raise funds for the Friends of Eaton County Animals. The spooky part is the pet costume contest and parade. As with any event of this type, entry is free, with pricing varying by activity. More information can be found at foeca.org.
Shadow Season gets moving with Fall Fest on Oct. 3. This free event, described as “tailored toward kids,” is also hosted at Courthouse Square from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It features cider, food, a scavenger hunt and pumpkin decorating, just the thing to get families in the autumn mood.
Saturday, Oct. 10 continues the fun with a Zombie Walk hosted at Beach Market at 3 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as zombies, with either cash or food donations as their entry fee for the walk and costume contest. Later that night, a haunted pub crawl begins at 6:30 p.m., with each stop featuring specialty food, drinks and actors “telling spooky stories connected with the building,” according to SaintAmour. Prices range depending on the number of drink tokens, with registration available through the Shadow Season website or at the head office at 218 N. Cochran Ave.
Bennett Park hosts the Blood Moon Haunted Trail on Friday, Oct. 16, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. There is an entry fee, with children age 5 and under getting their scares for free. This continues into the Night of Villainy Pub Crawl, which maintains the specialty food and drink of the previous pub crawl without the performers or registration.
Friday, Oct. 23 sees the return of the Haunted House party at the Courthouse Square Museum. There will be haunted tours, fortune telling, food, a cash bar and, of course, costumes. There is an entry fee. The party starts at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 24 sees another costume contest during an Until Every Paw Has a Home Concert. As with Woofstock, this event from the Friends of Eaton County Animals has various activities, with information via its website and social media.
Everything naturally comes together for two trick-or-treat outings: Monday, Oct. 26 for downtown Charloween, and Saturday, Oct. 31 for townwide Halloween celebrations, each running from 6 to 8 p.m.
