Five spooky and fun things to do this month in Middle Georgia

When I was a little kid, my parents would often ask, “I’m off to run errands. Do you want to go?” My answer was always a resounding YES!  You never know what adventures lie ahead: a cream soda, a new person to meet, a country road to explore.

I think life today is still like that — even though we have super busy lives and demands on our adult schedules, it’s important to go out and find that unique journey or at least a little piece of fun that fills our soul.

October screams with fun and interesting things to do, especially in Middle Georgia. Think of this time of the year as a fall sweater; wrap yourself in the area’s warmth, excitement and creative haunts.

1. 1. Some of us can’t go through the scary season without watching one of the classic flicks that highlight a masked man running around in the woods getting away with mischievous murders. The 1986 horror film, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, was filmed at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Georgia, and it’s practically in our backyard. Rutledge is about an hour and a half from Macon.  

Saturday, Oct. 19, you can celebrate Camp Crystal Lake’s heritage with a Haunted Village. They will have a kid friendly session in the afternoon and a  darker experience for the daring at 6:30 p.m.

Tours that highlight the movie will have eight scene stops and will last about fifteen minutes. It will cost you 10 bucks at the door for a few chills and screams.

2. Speaking of campy culture, iconic pop singer Michael Jackson brought some zombie fun into the world when he taught us how to creep around like zombies in his “Thriller” music video in the ‘80s.

Hayiya Dance Theatre Inc. will jam with its 17th annual Thriller parade and street party Oct. 26 at Cherry Street Plaza.

If you’re feeling a little post-mortem and want to dance with the pros, you can scurry over to Tattnall Square Park every Friday afternoon in October to learn the zombie moves with a free rehearsal.    

3. Next, sign up for the Macon Macabre tour. It touts itself as a “ghastly ghostly walk focusing on Downtown Macon’s nightlife district.”  

The folks at Visit Macon say a popular stop is the former site of Anjette’s Restaurant.  Her place was popular back in the 1940s and ‘50s. 

She went through a couple of husbands, and eventually, a jury convicted her of murdering them along with her 9-year-old daughter and one of her mothers-in-law.  The jovial woman used arsenic as her weapon and lived out her final days at Central State Hospital.

You’ll hear more about Anjette and other colorful characters on this easy yet disturbing stroll that lasts about an hour and a half.

“We know visitors and locals alike are just truly curious about the motivations of criminals,” Marissa Rodgers with Visit Macon said.  

Rodgers noted that this event is not intended for children.

The tour happens every Friday in October or by special request. If the spaces fill up, don’t worry your witches’ wrinkles. Marissa says they’ll add another night.

4. Many times, cemeteries set the backdrop for a good fright or scare. But the Historic Riverside Cemetery Conservancy always puts a different spin on things.  

For two weekends in October, you can stroll around the grounds that host 1,800 graves and see some of the more colorful characters rise from the grass through live performances.

Organizers go all out for this event; everyone is in costume in line with the point in time they walked on the earth. Match that with dramatic storytelling, and you have an enjoyable and entertaining evening, that’s great for the whole family.

This year’s theme is eerie, dubbed “Saints and Sinners.” The title captures the experience aptly — you’ll hear from Lily Woolfolk Cowan, the sister of Tom Woolfolk, who allegedly axed his entire family and was ultimately hung for the crime. 

2024 adds a twist with some of the dead speaking to you through a hologram.

This is a limited affair for only the weekends of Oct. 24-27 and Nov. 1-3.

Tours begin at 6:30 p.m. and depart from the Gatehouse every 15 minutes. The cemetery asks that guests arrive 15 minutes prior to tour time. You’ll cough up $15 per person, but children 10 and under are free.

5. I’m the family photographer in our group, so I love a good opportunity to get out the camera for a cute moment.  

You will find that in spades at Market Square in North Macon. These guys make this not only an enjoyable fall experience, but your teenagers will love all the backdrops that make the place Instagram-worthy. For instance, you can stand in front of a gigantic set of angel wings, sit on a tractor or perch your little one on pumpkins that span the rainbow of fall colors.

You’ll find them just around the corner from Bass Pro Shops on New Forsyth Road.

Keep this in your back pocket because, come December, Market Square will host Santa.

I hope you and your families have more fun than a vampire looking for blood. I’ll see ya’ back here next month to explore the myriad of things to do with the backdrop of fall leaves in Central Georgia.

Happy travels!