2011 Halloween Event Guide: Family and community activities in Las Vegas

By Allison Duck

Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011 | 2:45 a.m.

There is no shortage of fun family events to celebrate the season and Halloween this month. Choose from a plethora of haunted houses, spooky attractions and fall festivals. Check back soon for a guide to the adult side of Halloween with our Halloween Club Events Guide.

Continuing events:

Fright Dome at Circus Circus: The Adventuredome transforms into five acres of haunting Halloween fun with spooky surprises spread throughout the amusement park. Two of the five haunted houses inside are Halloween-themed, so be on the lookout for a chainsaw-wielding Michael Myers.

Bonnie Screams: Every year, Bonnie Springs at Red Rock Canyon gets spooky with Bonnie Screams. Travel the Trail of Doom, Steven Best’s nightly magic show, a saloon for guests ages 21 and older and the BBQ Pit.

Trilogy of Terrors: Celebrating 20 years of scaring Las Vegas, Freakling Brothers presents Nevada’s first R-rated attraction. This set of haunted houses focuses on claustrophobic horror, taboo situations and horrific themes. The Trilogy of Terror includes The Gates of Hell, Castle Vampyre and Circus of Horrors. No one under 14 allowed without a parent or guardian at the Gates of Hell, but the other attractions are for ages 9 and up.

Blood Village: Blood Village in Henderson Pavilion brings terror with scary creatures waiting to feast on your fear. It offers two haunted attractions, plus The Boneyard, an above ground graveyard just like in old New Orleans. The attraction features The Last Ride, a ride inside a wooden coffin that simulates all your worst fears.

Asylum & Hotel Fear at The Craig Road Promenade: The Asylum is celebrating its 13th season. Hold on to your bodily fluids as this dual attraction is guaranteed to scare everything out of you. Ranked by Haunt World as one of the Top 13 Haunts in the Nation, The Asylum and Hotel Fear feature an intertwined storyline between the two attractions. On Halloween night from 4 until 5:30 p.m., younger children can enjoy a special lights on edition with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House.

Madame Tussauds "After Dark": The wax museum’s "After Dark" edition invites guests to investigate paranormal activity lurking in the corridors of the haunted attraction.

Third Annual “OktoberFrightFest” at Fremont Street Experience: Fremont Street Experience is hosting the third annual OktoberFrightFest combining Oktoberfest and Halloween for a monthlong street party. The Viva Vision light and sound shows will be themed to “Time Warp” and “Monster Mash.” Throughout the month, “Frank & The Steins,” “Alice and Ozzy’s Frightmare” and Vampire Rising perform on the outdoor stages. Go to VegasExperience.com for the full schedule.

Haunted Reef: For one special night, Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef turns into the Haunted Reef where the attraction is decorated with spooky jack-o-lanterns in addition to the always intimidating sharks and Komodo dragon.

The 13th Floor Experience at Circus Circus: Guests board a haunted elevator to the 13th Floor of the hotel. A headless bellman guides a tour through scary hallways where ghosts and goblins of all kinds lurk menacingly.

Sanctum of Souls haunted attraction: Check out Las Vegas' newest Halloween attraction featuring three haunted houses, a food vendor area plus a retail outlet with costumes and accessories.

The Haunted Harvest at Springs Preserve: The Haunted Harvest gives the entire family a spooky good time. The Springs Preserve is hosting this annual Halloween event with carnival games, live entertainment, a haunted maze and a scary Scavenger Scarecrow Contest.

Zombie Precinct- Screamont East: Zombie Precinct: Screamont East is set to infiltrate the Fremont East Entertainment District. This attraction is a visual mind freak as it features terrifying (and a few sexy) zombies, freaks and other demented creatures, including an execution room, psych ward and morgue. Other activities include the Wicked West Film Fest, magicians, side show acts, vendors and the actual full-size Charles Manson Prison Bus featured in the movie Helter Skelter.

Monday, Oct. 31:

Halloween Carnival at Grace Valley Church: Enjoy a free Costume Carnival including games, prizes, pie throwing, popcorn, cotton candy, BBQ, a maze, face painting and lots of candy.

The Las Vegas Halloween Parade: The Las Vegas Halloween Parade returns to Downtown Las Vegas. There will be a costume contest with the following categories being judged: scariest, best group costume, wildest, funniest, best float, best illuminated costume, best Las Vegas theme and the Las Vegas Halloween Parade showgirl icon. Registration for the Costume Contest takes place at Hoover Ave and 4th Street from 4 until 6 p.m., then the parade commences at 7 p.m. and winners will be announced at an after-party. The majority of costume components must be homemade; no rented or professionally made costumes are allowed for the contest. Please keep the costumes fun and PG-rated, as this is a family event. The second annual parade, sponsored by Las Vegas Weekly and Zappos, lines up at 6 p.m. and takes place along the downtown parade route on 4th Street, northbound to the disband location at Ogden (one block North of Fremont Street).

GhostWalk and Carnival of Horrors at The District: GhostWalk on Main Street at The District includes trick-or-treating at the shops and restaurants. The centerpiece of GhostWalk is The Big Guy, a large ghost towering 20 feet above Main Street. GhostWalk also includes additional sponsors, activities and costume contests with on-air personalities from MIX 94.1 FM. Carnival of Horrors at The Green, located on the east side of the property, features the theme of an old, rundown traveling carnival with zombie sideshow characters handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. At the Carnival of Horrors, guests can ride The Carousel of Doom, a dilapidated old carousel with zombie-fied animals.

Tots' Trick or Treat at Whitney Ranch Rec Center: Dress your little ones (ages 1 to 5) in their Halloween costumes and let them trick-or-treat safely in the rec center. Admission is free, but a donation of two canned food items to benefit the Henderson Salvation Army is appreciated.

Halloween Party at West Flamingo Active Adult Center: Those 50 and older can enjoy a Halloween party with refreshments, entertainment, dancing, raffles, costume contest and prizes. Space is limited, so please call 702-455-7742 for more information.

Town Scary: Trick or Treat through the streets of Town Square during Town Scary. The retailers and restaurants of Town Square will be passing out candy from 4 to 8 p.m., and there will be games and activities for children to enjoy throughout the shopping center.

Tuesday, Nov. 1:

Town Scary: Chenin Orthodontics will hold its fourth annual Halloween Candy Buyback Event on Nov. 1, paying $1 for every pound of candy received. This program is in partnership with Nellis Air Force Base Airman and Readiness Center. Chenin Orthodontics gives the candy collected to troops overseas, along with sending letters and photos from the event. Last year, more than 500 pounds of candy were collected, and Chenin Orthodontics hopes to surpass 750 pounds this year.